Greece will receive aid through the EU’s emergency support fund for natural disasters “and not only”the Commissioner for Economy said today, Paolo Gentiloni.

Asked, during a press conference in Brussels, how and how soon the EU aid to Greece could take shape, ahead of tomorrow’s meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and the President of the Commission, P. Gentiloni replied that there is the EU emergency fund to support countries affected by natural disasters (European Solidarity Fund). As he explained, the Member States affected from a natural disaster, within three months they are called to state the amount of the estimated financial loss. “I am sure that the European Commission will try to support through this emergency support fundbut not only through it, Greece’s efforts to face this new crisis”, said the Finance Commissioner. As he noted, Greece faced fires and floods this summer – “phenomena which unfortunately bear witness to the extreme weather crisis we are facing”.

On how soon EU financial aid will arrive, Paolo Gentiloni indicated that some funds will be available as early as this yearbut in a limited way, but next year the help will be much more substantial.