A cover note from the EU Council, dated 30 June 2026, transmits the European Commission's 2023 Annual Report on the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which details five applications for major disasters received in 2023 and the financial contributions awarded, totalling over EUR 1.3 billion.
The report, covering the 2023 budget year, sets out the thresholds for major disasters and lists the five applications. For 2023, based on 2021 Eurostat GNI data, the EUR 3 billion cap (in 2011 prices) applies to Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Türkiye. The five applications submitted were: Türkiye for earthquakes on 6 February 2023 (total direct damage EUR 78.8 billion, awarded EUR 400 million); Italy for floods on 1 May 2023 (damage EUR 8.5 billion, awarded EUR 378.8 million); Slovenia for floods on 4 August 2023 (damage EUR 7.3 billion, awarded EUR 428.4 million); Austria for floods on 3 August 2023 (neighbouring country category, damage EUR 208 million, awarded EUR 5.2 million); and Greece for floods on 4 September 2023 (damage EUR 2.3 billion, awarded EUR 101.5 million). Advance decisions were made on 13 November 2023 (Italy), 23 November 2023 (Slovenia), and 23 January 2024 (Greece). Awarding decisions were made between 17 November 2023 and 18 December 2024.
The report is a factual summary of the year's activities. No new policy decisions are announced. The EUSF provides financial assistance to member states and accession countries in the event of major natural disasters. The largest single award went to Slovenia for floods, reflecting the high damage relative to its economy. The report confirms that the fund's resources were deployed as needed, with no applications rejected. The next annual report will cover 2024 applications.