Programme: European Union Solidarity Fund

At the request of a Member State or country involved in accession negotiations with the European Union, assistance from this fund may be mobilised when a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy occurs.

These general principles apply:

• In the event of a major disaster, there is only one single eligibility criterion - damage in excess of a threshold, specific for each country
• The EUSF can also intervene for smaller so-called 'extraordinary regional disasters' where the majority of the population of a region is affected, and if it is deemed that the disaster will have serious and lasting effects on its economic stability and living conditions
• The EUSF works primarily as a refinancing instrument for emergency operations following a disaster. Once the grant is paid out, it can re-finance certain types of emergency measures from day one of the disaster.