'No time for assessments': MEP urges commission to help storm-hit Maltese
Alex Agius Saliba calls on European Commission to provide urgent assistance
Updated 11.20am
Alex Agius Saliba has written to the European Commission to allocate funds for Maltese who suffered damages caused by recent storms, including Storm Harry.
The PL MEP said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that other member states have been helped out in similar situations, and so should Malta.
In a letter to the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto, Agius Saliba said the Maltese islands have been severely impacted by successive extreme weather events that caused widespread damage to public infrastructure, private property, agricultural land, and fishing vessels, among others.
"As Maltese citizens, local authorities and emergency services continue their efforts to secure affected areas, clear debris, and carry out damage assessments, the scale of destruction is becoming increasingly evident.
"I am sure that after the full evaluation of losses will take place, the formal thresholds for an application to the EU Solidarity Fund will be met. However, the immediate needs on the grounds are very urgent, and there is no time to lose in assessments and evaluations," Agius Saliba wrote, urging European solidarity.
He asked the commission to "act without delay" on finding a way for the EU to assist Maltese authorities and the impacted communities during this "critical recovery phase", including through technical guidance and the "mobility of support instruments".
Locals, he added, faced the difficult task of repairing homes, restoring livelihoods and rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
Tangible European solidarity could send a powerful message to union citizens that the bloc stands with them when they need it most, Agius Saliba said.
He also urged the two to start the process to grant funds that were already made available to other member states facing similar natural disasters.
Peter Agius offers government help to tap into funds
Meanwhile, PN MEP Peter Agius, who sits on the committee on agriculture and rural development, offered the government his help to tap into European funds.
The government has 12 weeks to present a detailed estimate of the cost of the damage, but Agius said he was offering his support to the local authorities to ask for an extended interpretation of the solidarity fund to cover some private property.