Resolution on the natural disasters caused by bad weather in Italy and flooding in Liguria and Tuscany

RESOLUTION B3-1407, 1408, 1430, 1463 and 1464/92

The European Parliament,

A. alarmed at the exceptionally heavy rainstorms in Liguria, particularly in the provinces of Genoa and Savona, and in Tuscany, in particular in the Mugello and the Upper and Lower Valdarno, and other regions of Italy,

B. shocked at the heavy toll (several people dead and many injured) of this major disaster,

C. whereas, in Liguria in particular, 282 millimetres of rain fell in less than twelve hours, causing rivers and streams to burst their banks and resulting in flooding and landslides,

D. having regard to the tragic situation and the enormous damage caused by the exceptional, persistent rainstorms, especially during the middle of October in Tuscany, which serve to underline once more the urgent need for effective river management in this region,

E. concerned at the enormous damage to public and private buildings and to businesses in a region such as Liguria, which is already suffering from the economic crisis and the effects of industrial restructuring,

F. deploring the fact that the Italian government has so far failed to provide adequate funding to support application of the national law for the protection of the soil (L.183/89) or to establish the necessary coordination of hydrogeological management policies for river basins classified as of national importance;

G. whereas the regional authorities of Liguria have quite rightly called on the Italian Government to declare their region a disaster area,

H. whereas the Commission has already allocated part of the funds earmarked for emergency aid under budget heading B4-340 to those most affected by this disaster in Liguria,

1. Conveys its condolences to the families of the victims;

2. Expresses its sympathy to those who were injured and to all those affected by the violent rainstorms;

3. Calls on the Commission, in close cooperation with the Italian Government, to examine the official estimates of the damage drawn up by the regions in question, and to provide by common accord the necessary aid;

4. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make provision for a directive on flood prevention in heavily built-up, highly environmentally-sensitive catchment areas;

5. Calls on the Italian Government to draw up programmes to restore the hydrogeological balance, replant forests and control urban expansion in the areas concerned;

6. Hopes that all the Community funding already granted by the Commission for reafforestation, the regulation of minor water courses and the consolidation of agricultural land in mountain and mountain-base areas will be effectively subject to detailed monitoring to ensure it is actually used for the purposes originally intended;

7. Proposes that the Commission, the Italian Government and the regional authorities in question use the structural funds to which these regions are entitled for this purpose, possibly providing for the relevant Community Support Frameworks to be modified with a view to increasing the funding available;

8. Supports the request by the regional authorities that their regions be declared disaster areas and calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that the necessary steps are taken as a matter of urgency;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Italian Government and the regional authorities concerned.