BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European officials are puzzled over why Britain has not applied for cash from an EU Solidarity Fund to help cope with catastrophic flooding in southwestern England. Even Germany, the EUs wealthiest member state, tapped the then newly created fund for tens of millions of euros after it suffered a flooding disaster in 2002, along with several other central European countries. But so far, Brussels hasnt received any application from London, where the idea of going cap-in-hand to Europe at a time of tension over Britains future in the bloc is bound to make any such request politically sensitive. Prime Minister David Cameron declared on Tuesday that money would be no object to fighting the floods that have cut off southwestern villages for weeks and forced thousands of people from their homes in Berkshire, west of London. His government, under fire from critics for what ministers have acknowledged was a slow initial response, has deployed the armed forces to evacuate residents and shore up river defenses. Asked whether Britain would ask for EU money, Camerons official spokesman told reporters on Wednesday the government was looking at every source of possible funding, playing down the idea that there was anything political behind it. Under EU rules, a country has 10 weeks from the first damage caused by a natural disaster to request aid. MH mobile.reuters/article/idUSBREA1B1KX20140212?irpc=932
Posted on: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 18:06:43 +0000