MARIGOT--French Overseas Minister Annick Girardin travelled to Brussels on Monday to request the European Commission (EC) to activate funds from Fonds de Solidarité de L’Union Européenne (FSU) for St. Martin and Guadeloupe, the Minister’s office stated in a release.
This follows the evaluation of damages to both islands carried out by Inspection Generale de L’Administration (IGA) and Conseil Generale de L’Envrironment et du Devéloppement Durable (CGEDD), and updated from the evaluation conducted from data of the Caisse Centrale de Reassurance (CCR).
The French State estimates the damages caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria on both islands to be 1.95 billion euros. The Minister was due to meet with Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner for Economic Affairs.
The FSU was set up to deal with major natural disasters and to express the solidarity of the European Union (EU) to affected regions. Services of the State and the EC will assess the amount that can be given in damages to both islands.
The island of St. Barths is not eligible for FSU funds, but may possibly benefit from other aid schemes in the EU, funds for development for example.
