Commission proposes €489 million to help Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta recover from severe storms

Today, the European Commission proposed to mobilise €489 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta recover from severe storms and flooding in January and February 2026. The funding will support essential emergency and recovery operations to rebuild transport infrastructure and reestablish essential services.

The Commission proposes to pay €261 million to Portugal, €149 million to Spain, €74.8 million to Italy and €3.72 million to Malta. 

The proposal follows applications submitted by the four Member States after storm Harry struck Malta and Italy in January 2026, and after a series of storms caused severe flooding in Portugal and Spain between January and February 2026.

The storms caused widespread destruction and serious disruption to daily lives.

In Italy, storm Harry hit Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia, damaging coastal and river areas and forcing evacuations. In Malta, the storm brought strong winds, heavy rainfall, rising sea levels and powerful waves, affecting communities across Malta and Gozo.  In Spain, the storms particularly affected Andalusia and Extremadura, leading to road closures, evacuations and prolonged disruption to electricity, water supply and telecommunications. In Portugal, severe storms triggered floods and landslides, causing 18 fatalities as well as major infrastructure damage and evacuations.

The proposed EUSF support will help finance emergency and recovery actions such as restoring energy, water, wastewater, telecommunications and transport infrastructure, as well as health and education services, where relevant. EU funding will also cover clean-up operations, temporary accommodation and rescue services, as well as measures to secure preventive infrastructure and protect cultural heritage.

Three of the four countries received advances from the Fund: €65.37 million for Portugal, €37.26 million for Spain and €931,014 for Malta.