Warsaw, 20 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged billions of euros in EU aid for regions affected by the severe flooding that has hit Central and Eastern Europe in recent days.

During a visit to the major Polish city of Wrocław, von der Leyen said that €10 billion ($11.1 billion) could initially be provided from so-called cohesion funds, one of the largest posts in the EU budget.

The EU's cohesion fund is intended to "reduce economic and social disparities and to promote sustainable development," according to the commission.

Normally, EU member states have to contribute to the fund if they want to benefit from it.

However, EU member states affected by the floods will be exempted from that rule.

"These are extraordinary times, and extraordinary times need extraordinary measures," said von der Leyen.

In Poland, she met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

Their nations have been affected by severe flooding, and several people have died.

Tusk thanked von der Leyen for the quick and unbureaucratic assistance. "It took us exactly 45 minutes to agree on our expectations and to get satisfactory explanations from the European Commission," he said.

Photo: dpa