DEPUTY Prime Minister Pál Csáky made an official request January 21 for financial assistance from the Solidarity Fund to the European Commission to cover the costs of alleviating the damage caused by November's windstorms in the High Tatras, according to the TASR news agency.
The commissioner responsible for regional policy, Danuta Hubner, promised Csáky that the EC would start the approval process immediately.
"It seems that we comply with all the conditions - the total damage, according to experts, represents some Sk8.7 billion (€225 million)," Csáky told reporters.
The EC stipulates that the total damage has to be more than Sk5.7 billion (€150 million) to qualify for assistance from the Solidarity Fund.
Csáky added that the commission would make a decision on the assistance within three months.