On 17 September 2026 the European Commission proposed mobilising €489 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund for Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta. The money would support emergency and recovery operations after storms and floods in January and February 2026.

According to the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, the proposal would provide €261 million for Portugal, €149 million for Spain, €74.8 million for Italy and €3.72 million for Malta. Support is intended, among other things, to rebuild transport infrastructure and restore essential services.

The applications followed Storm Harry, which struck Malta and Italy in January, and a series of storms that caused flooding in Portugal and Spain between January and February. Three states have already received advances: €65.37 million for Portugal, €37.26 million for Spain and €931,014 for Malta.

The allocation does not compensate every loss. The Fund complements national efforts and covers part of eligible public spending, not privately insurable damage. After the advances, €385.6 million would remain to be paid if the proposal is approved.

The Commission proposal must complete the EU budgetary procedure and be approved by the European Parliament and the Council. Only then can the Commission adopt the decision to pay the balance.

Until those approvals, the amounts remain a proposal, not a transfer already executed.

Image: KenSwe72, Berlaymont building, Brussels, 14 May 2017, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. Commission headquarters, not the January–February 2026 storms. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Commission proposes €489 million to help Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta recover from severe storms — European Commission.