EP approves aid to Croatia to repair damage caused by earthquake

(Photo: HINA/Damir SENČAR)

ZAGREB, Nov 23 (Hina) – The European Parliament on Monday approved €683.7 million in aid from the European Solidarity Fund to help Croatia repair the damage caused by a devastating earthquake that struck Zagreb and its surroundings on March 22.

The European Parliament has just approved the mobilisation of €683.7 million from the Solidarity Fund to address the consequences of the earthquake in Zagreb and the surrounding area. This is the last step in the process which, after the advance of €89 million, will ensure the disbursement of the remaining funds for reconstruction, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic wrote on Twitter.

The €88.9 million advance, the highest ever from the European Solidarity Fund, was paid out in August.

The aid to Croatia is part of a wider package of €823 million. The rest of the money is intended for dealing with the consequences of flooding in Poland (€7 million) and includes €132.7 million in advance payments to Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Hungary and Portugal to deal with the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Croatian MEP Zeljana Zovko also welcomed the decision.

This example of European solidarity will help Croatia recover from both the consequences of the earthquake and the consequences of the unprecedented pandemic, Zovko said.

A total of 26,000 buildings in Zagreb were damaged by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake on March 22.