The European Parliament on Tuesday approved almost €320 million in EU aid to assist Croatia after the 2020 devastating earthquakes.

The aid was almost unanimously supported with as many as 689 MEPs voting for the aid package and a mere six deputies from the European Conservatives and Reformists and the Identity and Democracy groups voting against it. Two MEPs abstained.

Croatia should receive almost €320 million in financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) following a series of earthquakes between 28 December 2020 and 21 February 2021. This includes an advance of €41 million that has already been disbursed. Details on the funding can be found in the Commission’s proposal and in Parliament’s report by Croatian MEP Karlo Ressler (EPP, HR), according to information on the EP website.

On 18 March 2021, Croatia submitted an application for assistance from the Fund following a series of earthquakes that began on 28 December 2020.

On 29 December 2020, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 ML shook a wider area around Petrinja, causing casualties and significant damage. On 30 December 2020, several strong aftershocks, ranging from 2.7 ML to 5.2 ML, were recorded.

“The Croatian authorities estimate the total amount of direct damage at EUR 5 508 740 811. This amount represents 10.21% of Croatia’s Gross National Income (GNI) and exceeds the EUSF threshold for a so-called ‘major disaster’, which is EUR 323 774 million (0.6% of Croatia’s GNI in 2021),” according to the report submitted within the procedure for application for assistance.

It is estimated that 1.55 million people (more than one-third of the total population of Croatia) were most severely affected by the earthquakes in December 2020 and the aftershocks. Croatia estimated the cost of emergency and rehabilitation actions eligible under the EUSF Regulation at EUR 1.66 billion. The largest share concerns the costs of temporary accommodation, immediate restoration of affected natural zones and cleaning up of disaster-stricken areas.

The independent assessment carried out by the Commission services confirmed the extent of the affected area and the total number of exposed population as declared in the application. On 23 June 2021, the Commission adopted an implementing decision granting an advance from the EUSF amounting to EUR 41 325 507 and subsequently paid it to Croatia, says the EP.