Last week, the European Commission disbursed a grant of €277.8 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help Croatia repair the damage caused by the earthquakes that struck central areas of the country at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, the Commission said on Monday.

The Commission has awarded €319 million of EUSF support to Croatia following the devastating series of earthquakes that hit Sisak-Moslavina, Karlovac and Zagreb Counties in December 2020 and January 2021. €41 million was paid as an advance in August 2021, and the balance payment of €277.8 million was made on 30 December 2021.

“Croatia has gone through two terrible earthquakes in March 2020 and again a series of earthquakes in December 2020 and January 2021. The financial support from the EU Solidarity Fund to Croatia will contribute to the essential recovery efforts after the devastation brought by the earthquakes and it is a visible sign of EU solidarity,” said the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira.

In late October, following an application by Croatia for compensation for the damage caused by the earthquakes, the Commission proposed a financial contribution from the EUSF of €319 million, which was approved by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament in mid-December.

Croatia had previously received a grant of €683.7 million to repair the damage caused by a devastating earthquake that struck  Zagreb in March 2020, which makes up more than €1 billion in total support.