By Martin Banks - 11th March 2010
The Spanish EU presidency has been urged to review the criteria for the EU's natural disaster emergency fund.
The €1bn "solidarity fund" is used to provide cash aid for victims of floods, storms and other natural phenomena.
But it take can many weeks before funds are released and MEPs say applicant countries should be able to access it more quickly.
On Thursday, a resolution calling for simplification of the criteria for solidarity funding was approved by 474 votes with just seven against at parliament's plenary.
Parliament backed a commission proposal on this in May 2006 but it has since been blocked by member states.
The new parliamentary resolution said the fund must be mobilised "in the most urgent and flexible way and to the greatest possible extent."
It urges the commission and Spanish presidency to "reactivate the revision" of the fund regulation.
Spanish Socialist deputy Ricardo Cortes Lastra last week led an MEP delegation to the island of Madeira to assess the damage of the recent floods there which killed at least 42 people.
Speaking in Strasbourg, the regional development committee member said, "We need an urgent response on this from the EU. Extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures."
To receive funding, a stricken country must submit a request within ten weeks of the initial damage. But, before monies are released, it has to be examined by the commission, parliament and member states.
Payments are limited to funding emergency operations by public authorities.
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