Top EU official to visit flood disaster area
Puig’s trip to Brussels bears fruit
VICE-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans will today (Friday) visit areas of the Vega Baja which were devastated by the September floods.
President of the Valencia region Ximo Puig made the announcement at the weekend following a visit to Brussels.
Both Valencia and Murcia region are bidding for emergency money from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) which was set up in 2002 to respond to major natural disasters.
Sr Puig said the Dutch politician will be able to see first-hand the scale of the damage caused by flooding in the area.
He said he had discussed specific EUSF aid with Mr Timmermans and they will have to present a detailed assessment of damage to the European Commission.
He noted that they are still totting up the financial cost of the natural disaster, which the regional government has estimated at more than €1.5 billion but which unions and business associations have said could reach €3 billion.
Sr Puig said that when the real figure is known then they ‘will be able to ask for the corresponding aid’.
Mediterranean solution
During their meeting in Brussels Sr Puig said he had asked for a specific European strategy for the Mediterranean area ‘to face up to the climate emergency’ and to ‘prevent catastrophes such as the one caused by the torrential rain in the Vega Baja’.
He explained that Mr Timmermans will be dedicating most of his time to climate change in a new set-up at the EU and he will be overseeing ‘all the measures which have to be developed to fight it’.
Sr Puig added that Mr Timmermans had agreed that specific measures were needed for the Mediterranean.
Part of the strategy will include promoting renewable energies more quickly.
Sr Puig said their goal had been to reach 100% of energy production from renewable sources by 2050 but the need was more pressing and this target would have to ‘almost completed’ by 2030.
He reminded that the Valencia region has ‘great possibilities’ to produce renewable energy.
The private sector will also be asked to help out with investment and ‘to bring the necessary connections’ to set up the energy sources.
Sr Puig also emphasised the importance of small producers and ‘self-supply’ via devices in the home.
“Temperatures will rise faster in the Mediterranean area than the rest of Europe and it is a problem which needs a European-wide solution,” he added.