Slovenia, Croatia and Austria are to get €14.6 million in EU aid to help repair damage caused by severe floods in 2012. The aid was approved by the Budgets Committee on Thursday, but still needs to be endorsed by Parliament as a whole.

The European Solidarity Fund aid will help repair damage done by heavy rain and floods in October and November 2012 to private and public buildings, water and waste water infrastructure, businesses, farm land and forests.

Worst-hit Slovenia is to get €14 million, Croatia €286,587 and Austria €240,000. They estimated the total direct damage at €359.535 million for Slovenia, €11.463 million for Croatia and €9.6 million for Austria.

The European Solidarity Fund was set up in November 2002 to help victims of natural disasters in regions in need of financial support. It has an annual ceiling of €1 billion.