Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
STRASBOURG / PALERMO – The tally of damage and the dispute over support for the areas hit by Cyclone Harry’s fury have now officially reached the floor of the European Parliament. On Wednesday, October 21, in Strasbourg, the European Parliament will be called to vote on the approval of the mobilisation of €75 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to be allocated to Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria.
This was announced by the Five Star Movement MEP Giuseppe Antoci, who underlined the decisive importance of the vote for three regions that, eight months after the disaster, are still facing serious infrastructural and economic difficulties.
“EU institutions urged from the very first hours”: pressure on von der Leyen and Fitto
Reconstructing the institutional steps of the dispute, Antoci highlighted the work of urging action that began in the immediate aftermath of the emergency, together with his colleague Pasquale Tridico.
«From the very first hours after the devastation, we directly contacted the top European institutions, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner Raffaele Fitto, so that all the extraordinary tools available to the Union would be activated promptly – Antoci explains –. Our request was precise and justified: in the face of a catastrophic event of such proportions, national resources alone could not suffice, and direct financial support from the EU was essential».
Restoration of infrastructure and essential services
The €75 million at the centre of the plenary vote will be used to cover initial emergency expenses, the restoration of damaged road and water infrastructure, and the re-establishment of essential public services in the hardest-hit municipalities.
«On Wednesday, we will be in the chamber in Strasbourg to firmly support the green light for these funds – the Five Star MEP concludes –. The severe consequences of this disaster cannot weigh solely on the shoulders of local communities and administrations. We hope that the European Parliament’s vote will mark the definitive turning point that citizens and businesses urgently need».
