EU – Baltic States, Funds, Lithuania

MEP Bronius Rope told that the bulk of the money will go to repair land reclamation and drainage systems. 

As a result of continuous rainfall in Lithuania throughout the summer and fall of 2017, fully saturated soils were unable to absorb the excess water, causing floods that mostly affected the network infrastructure and the agricultural sector.

Lithuania's authorities estimated the total direct damage caused by the flooding at around 407 million euros and the cost of emergency and recovery operations eligible for funding at more than 240 mln euros.

Since in 2002, when the fund was set up, 24 EU countries have received EUSF aid for repair work after more than 80 disasters, such as floods, forest fires, earthquakes, storms and drought. Lithuania was granted aid after it was hit by Hurricane Erwin in 2005.

The European Commission early this yearly allocated 9.12 mln euros to Lithuanian farmers in compensation for winter crops that could not be sown or failed after sowing.

The government decided in July to provide another 9 mln euros to affected farmers from the national budget, with the money to be paid out in November and December.