The Budget Commission of the European Parliament has unanymously approved two reports providing financial assistance of up to 19 million euro to Romania to cover damages produced by floods in April-May 2005 and over 50 million for floods in July-August last year.

The funds answer a request in this regard submitted by the Romanian Government last year. The European Commission forwarded the request to the EP Commission on March 10 this year.

The assistance comes a year late as current European procedures would not allow for a faster process. But a new inter-institutional accord will change the existing procedures so that the EU reaction to natural disasters be much faster.