The European Parliament has given the green light this Wednesday to the mobilization of 149.1 million euros for Spain, intended to finance recovery efforts after the succession of storms that hit the country between January and February 2026. The aid is part of a package of 489 million euros from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which will also benefit Portugal, Italy, and Malta.
The proposal was approved in the Strasbourg Plenary with a wide majority of 651 votes in favor, 17 against, and three abstentions. From the amount corresponding to Spain, national authorities had already received 37.26 million euros as an advance.
The community disbursement seeks to contribute to covering public expenses arising from emergency actions, the repair of essential infrastructures, and the recovery of the territories affected by extreme weather phenomena.
Andalusia and Extremadura concentrate the main damages
According to the report backed by the Eurochamber, Spain suffered a succession of storms between January 22 and February 14, 2026, with particular incidence in Andalusia and Extremadura. Spanish authorities estimated the direct damages caused by these episodes at 4,839.53 million euros, an amount that reflects the impact of the rainfall on public infrastructures, essential services, and private homes.
The intense rains forced the evacuation of thousands of people and caused significant structural damage to residential buildings, as well as to the electricity supply networks, water supply, and telecommunications.
The European contribution will allow financing part of the emergency and recovery actions undertaken by the competent administrations, although its amount represents only a fraction of the total estimated damages.
What actions can be financed with European funds?
The resources mobilized through the Solidarity Fund can be allocated to the restoration of essential infrastructures, including energy networks, water supply systems, waste management facilities, telecommunications, and transport connections. Interventions aimed at restoring the functioning of health and educational services affected by the storms can also be financed.
The scope of application of these aids includes, in addition, the cleaning operations of the affected areas, the provision of temporary accommodations, and the provision of rescue services.
Likewise, the instrument allows for the financing of improvements to preventive infrastructures and measures aimed at protecting cultural heritage from the effects of disasters. The mobilization of these resources constitutes one of the main budgetary mechanisms of response of the European Union to large-scale natural disasters, with the aim of complementing the financial capacity of the affected member states.
The Eurochamber calls for strengthening the Solidarity Fund in the next European budget
Beyond the approval of the aids, the European Parliament has taken advantage of the resolution to introduce a budgetary claim in the full debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The MEPs consider it necessary to ensure that the actions currently financed by the Solidarity Fund maintain an adequate allocation in the next community budget, in light of the increasing intensity of natural disasters.
The Chamber argues that this instrument must retain the capacity to provide a tangible response to the member states and the affected regions, especially in a context marked by the multiplication of extreme weather phenomena. This position introduces a new element in the negotiations of the European budget for the period 2028-2034, in which the community institutions must determine the resources available to respond to emergencies and ensure the financing of other strategic priorities of the Union.
The Solidarity Fund is part of the Reserve for Solidarity and Emergency Aid, a special instrument of the European budget whose mobilization requires the approval of both the European Parliament and the Council. Since its creation in 2002, the mechanism has granted more than 11 billion euros to respond to 150 disasters, of which 130 were natural disasters and another 20 corresponded to health emergencies.
Its resources have benefited 25 member states, in addition to the United Kingdom, and six candidate countries for accession to the European Union.
Portugal concentrates more than half of the approved aids
The package backed this Wednesday by the European Parliament is not limited to Spain. The budget mobilization also includes transfers for three other member states affected by destructive weather episodes during 2026. Portugal will be the main beneficiary, with 261.5 million euros, which represents more than half of the mobilized resources. For its part, Italy will receive 74.9 million euros, while Malta will have an allocation of 3.7 million.
In total, the four allocations raise the community intervention to nearly 489 million euros, aimed at contributing to the recovery of the affected territories and the restoration of damaged services and infrastructures. With the backing of the Plenary, the Eurochamber completes its approval of the mobilization of these resources, which also requires the approval of the Council for its budget processing.