Saryusz-Wolski suggests diversion of EU funds to deal with flooding

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Secretary of the European Integration Committee, has said that the European Union (EU) may increase its aid to Poland to help in the recovery from recent flooding. The EU has already promised euro 15 million in flood aid from the PHARE project. Speaking yesterday in Lublin, Saryusz-Wolski suggested that PHARE funds already assigned to other projects could be diverted to the regions that have been flooded. "We are hoping that the local government authorities consider reallocating the formerly assigned PHARE funds to eliminate the effects of the flooding, including the rebuilding of public infrastructure and facilities for combatting floods. Then the EU money for dealing with the effects of flooding could be as much as euro 50 million more." The latest official figures show that nine people drowned and 20,000 were forced to leave their homes in last month's flooding, which affected 119 administrative districts. Yesterday the government announced an additional zl.45 million for dealing with the aftereffects of the flooding, raising the total amount of government assistance to zl.915 million. (Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 4, 5; Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 2) P.W.