European Parliament approves €489 million EU Solidarity Fund aid, €74.9 million for Italy after Storm Harry

The European Parliament has approved €489 million from the EU Solidarity Fund, including €74.9 million for Italy to recover from Storm Harry, which hit the country in January 2026. The vote passed with 651 in favour, 17 against and 3 abstentions.

For Italy, the money is a first European contribution to a disaster that, by one Italian business daily's early estimate, caused over €2 billion in damage in Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia. The package also covers Malta, Portugal and Spain, and shows how the fund responds to repeated extreme weather in southern Europe.

What happened

The European Parliament endorsed the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for four member states. Of the €489 million total, Italy receives €74.9 million and Malta €3.7 million, both for Storm Harry. Portugal receives €261.5 million and Spain €149.1 million, after they requested activation following the floods of February this year.

• Total approved: €489 million
• Italy: €74.9 million (Storm Harry, January 2026)
• Malta: €3.7 million (Storm Harry)
• Portugal: €261.5 million (February 2026 floods)
• Spain: €149.1 million (February 2026 floods)
• Vote: 651 for, 17 against, 3 abstentions

The European Commission had proposed the package earlier. An Italian news agency report dated 17 September 2026 gave the Italian share as €74.8 million, with Storm Harry having hit Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia at the start of the year. The Parliament vote and the brief put the figure at €74.9 million.

How did the money get to this point?

The Commission first proposed the €489 million for Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta, and the proposal then went to Parliament. Before that, on 23 July 2026, the Commission approved advance payments totalling €103.6 million to Malta, Portugal and Spain to ease the financial burden of reconstruction.

Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto commented on the proposal, saying the Commission proposes to mobilise €489 million to support territories hit by the severe storms and floods earlier in the year. He added that, in the face of ever more frequent natural disasters, Europe stands beside its territories, as reported in an Italian news agency item dated 28 September 2026.

What was the damage from Storm Harry in Italy?

Storm Harry caused heavy rain, coastal storm surges and landslides in southern Italy in January 2026. In Niscemi, in the Sicilian province of Caltanissetta, a landslide front about 4 kilometres wide forced the evacuation of around 1,500 people, according to reports at the end of January. On 26 January, roughly three hundred families, about a thousand people, were moved to other homes and a sports hall, and the head of Italy's civil protection, Fabio Ciciliano, said the whole hill was collapsing.

On 4 February 2026, an Italian business daily reported over €2 billion in damage and a risk of lower GDP for Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia. Tourism and agriculture were the hardest-hit sectors, and businesses warned of nearly €2 billion in potential further losses from halted production. Compensation under natural disaster insurance policies was an open issue.

Greenpeace Italia criticised the Italian government for not investing enough in climate change mitigation, according to a report published on 29 January 2026.

Why it matters

The EU Solidarity Fund approval matters because it channels EU money to cover part of public recovery costs after disasters, reducing the strain on national and regional budgets. The Italian contribution of €74.9 million is small against the early damage estimate of over €2 billion, so it covers only a fraction of the overall bill.

The large majority in Parliament, with only 17 votes against, indicates broad political backing for solidarity payments after extreme weather. For Portugal, which receives €261.5 million, the package is the largest single allocation.

What are the risks and open questions?

The fund addresses recovery of public infrastructure and emergency operations, and the sums are well below early loss estimates for Italy. Private losses, insurance compensation and lost output remain largely outside what the money can cover. The estimated damage figures were early assessments from February and may have changed since.

The amounts also differ slightly between sources, with €74.8 million cited in the Commission proposal coverage and €74.9 million in the approved total, so final figures depend on the adopted decision.

What to watch next

The next steps concern the formal adoption and use of the funds, as well as the pace of reconstruction in the affected regions.

• Formal completion of the decision and publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
• Payment of the balance to Italy and Malta, after advances of €103.6 million already paid on 23 July 2026 to Malta, Portugal and Spain.
• How Italy allocates the €74.9 million across Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia.
• Progress on the Niscemi landslide area, where evacuations affected about 1,500 people.