The European Commission has allocated an extra €65 million to tackle the aftermath of the floods. which hit Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

The €62 million has been mobilised to respond to short to medium term reconstruction and relief needs in the affected areas. In addition, the IPA 2013 programme will cover a call for proposals of €2 million to be published in June in support of the introduction of flood response modules in line with the EU civil protection mechanism.

The EU is committed to continuing its support in the medium to long term with new IPA money that will be allocated for the period 2014-2020. The exact scope and amount will be decided on the basis of a comprehensive needs assessments expected in the coming weeks, so that the funds can be made available to both countries over the summer.

The European Commission is working with the affected countries and in close coordination with the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to assess the exact needs and identify the best instruments and financial support.

On this basis, the EU will mobilise further IPA funding to support infrastructure reconstruction, and improve river and flood risk management, also from a regional perspective. This will help to better anticipate and mitigate risks as well as improve civil protection mechanisms in case of natural disasters.