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Updated at 5.35pm Last February's storm which rampaged across Malta cost the country €25 million, a government study found. The storm, described as the worst to hit Malta since October 1982, saw record gusts of wind hit the country, damaged electricity ne€25m in storm damage not enough to qualify for EU funding
Updated at 5.35pm Last February's storm which rampaged across Malta cost the country €25 million, a government study found. The storm, described as the worst to hit Malta since October 1982, saw record gusts of wind hit the country, damaged electricity networks and forced over a dozen people to be evacuated from their homes. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had then announced that the government would seek funding from the European Union to support those affected. Does the storm damage qualify for EU funding? Dr Muscat's hopes of EU funding have however been dashed by EU rules. Although the storm was one of the most devastating in recent history, the EU Solidarity Fund - created to help communities recover from such events - can only be mobilised if damage amounts to 0.6% of gross national income. In Malta's case, that would amount to €62.4m - more than twice the cost of damage caused by February's storm. That information was revealed by the European Commission on Friday in response to a question asked by MEP Francis Zammit Dimech. «The Commission has discussed with the Maltese authorities all possible options to use the EUSF for the damage caused by the storm of February 2019,»... Read more
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