MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Failure of the European Commission to visit the Valencian districts affected by the DANA – E-000106/2025(ASW)

The President of the Commission has repeatedly expressed, since the first day of the disaster, her full solidarity with the citizens of the Valencia Region, and reaffirmed the Commission’s permanent availability to support the Spanish authorities at all levels to provide relief and assistance for reconstruction, in the form deemed most appropriate.

Up on request from Spain, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism[1] was activated on 8 November 2024. Several Member States offered support, and two liaison officers from the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre were deployed to help coordinate the assistance on the ground.

The joint work is focused on ensuring EU support is most effective and beneficial for the affected communities and conveyed as soon as possible. This includes support from the RESTORE[2] initiative and from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF)[3].

In a recent meeting, the Mayor of Valencia invited the Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms to visit Valencia.

Therefore, the Executive Vice-President, member of the Commission responsible for cohesion policy and the EUSF, during his first mission to Spain planned for March 2025, will also visit the Valencian districts affected by the catastrophe.

The Executive Vice-President would like to engage with the affected communities, demonstrate European solidarity and make sure EU support meets their needs and helps to prepare a more resilient future.

• [1] https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en
• [2] Regulation (EU) 2024/3236 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1057 and (EU) 2021/1058 as regards Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3236/oj/eng
• [3] Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3) as amended by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 May 2014 (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 143) and by Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 March 2020 (OJ L 99, 31.3.2020, p. 9). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32002R2012