The European Commission said Tuesday it was proposing to give Greece 89.7 million euros (about 141.9 million U.S. dollars) to offset part of the costs from last summer's forest fires.
The fund, pending the approval of the European Parliament and Council, will come from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which was set up to help EU member countries to recoup costs following natural disasters, according to Athens News Agency.
The grant will be used to reimburse the costs of emergency measures such as rescue services, the provision of temporary housing, the cleaning up of disaster-stricken areas and the restoration of basic infrastructures to working condition, the report said.
"I had the opportunity to see the horrific fire damage in Greece for myself, so I know the scale of the needs," said Danuta Hubner, European Commissioner in charge of the EUSF.
In the summer of 2007, a large part of Greece was affected by forest fires. The disaster claimed 65 lives and caused major damage to the country's economy, the basic infrastructures and the environment.
Source:Xinhua
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