EU Grants Spain €946 Million for Recovery from Devastating DANA Weather Event
The EU Solidarity Fund approves nearly €1 billion to support Spain's recovery from the extensive damage caused by the DANA weather event in late 2024, supplemented by additional cohesion funds.
- • The European Commission has approved €946 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for Spain’s DANA disaster recovery.
- • Spain's total damages from DANA are estimated at €18 billion with €4.3 billion eligible for EU aid.
- • An additional €645 million from cohesion policy funds will support reconstruction under the RESTORE Regulation.
- • The funding supports emergency relief, infrastructure repair, temporary housing, and cleanup efforts.
- • This is the second-largest FSUE grant ever and reflects huge public mobilization and EU solidarity.
Key details
The European Commission has approved €946 million in funding for Spain through the European Union Solidarity Fund (FSUE) to aid recovery from the severe damage caused by the DANA weather event at the end of 2024. This allocation marks the second-largest amount ever granted by the FSUE since its creation in 2002, surpassed only by a €1.2 billion grant to Italy in 2017.
Spain estimated total damage from DANA at €18 billion, with €4.3 billion qualified as eligible for funding. The approved €946 million will partially reimburse public expenses related to emergency response, restoration of infrastructure, temporary housing for displaced populations, and cleanup in affected regions such as the Valencian Community. This is complemented by an additional €645 million reallocated from EU cohesion policy funds, mobilized under the new RESTORE Regulation, bringing total EU funding for DANA recovery to €1.6 billion.
According to Spain's Ministry of Finance, the funds represent 81% of the FSUE budget for the year and reinforce Spain’s extensive state mobilization during the disaster, which included unprecedented deployment of security and armed forces. First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister María Jesús Montero underscored this EU support as recognition of Spain’s response effort and a critical boost for reconstruction.
Following formal requests and approvals, Spanish authorities will coordinate with regional governments such as the Valencian Generalitat to ensure transparent and effective distribution of the funds. Since 2002, Spain has received over €1.1 billion from the FSUE, which has played a key role during major crises including the Prestige oil spill, the Lorca earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the La Palma volcanic eruption.
This historic EU solidarity aid arrives as Spain continues its extensive recovery from one of the country's most damaging natural disasters in recent history.