Recital (1)

The recent floods and wildfires in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe have had a devastating effect on the populations living in these regions. Extensive reconstruction works will be required in many cities, towns and villages to repair damaged infrastructure and equipment. Immediate measures are needed to alleviate the social and economic consequences of those natural disasters. In addition, people are in immediate need of basic material assistance. Moreover, support for job maintenance is needed to help employees and self-employed people to retain their jobs for a limited period of time where they are not able to access their usual place of employment due to the occurrence of a natural disaster. In order to tackle the devastating effect of natural disasters on people’s health, access to healthcare including for people who are not in imminent socio-economic vulnerability should also be possible. Evidence suggests that the occurrence of natural disasters is likely to increase in the future. Therefore, it is appropriate to create a temporary framework that provides for flexibility and financial support while preserving the long-term strategic nature of cohesion policy investments.