Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has declared a temporary state of emergency over the major floods as Poland prepares for new flooding. Tusk says his country needs more than €1 billion in emergency aid. The European Commission is considering the request.
His appeal for support came after days of heavy rainfall in Central Europe caused severe flooding in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Austria, where the first damage reports are now being drawn up.
The Austrian government has responded with financial aid measures, including a multi-year disaster fund that has been increased to €1 billion. Businesses can apply for interest-free loans and guarantees. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said contacts had already been made with affected neighbouring countries and the European Commission to explore activating the EU Solidarity Fund. The European Parliament has already called on Brussels to set aside much more money for compensation.
Chancellor Nehammer will travel to Poland on Thursday for a flood conference. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has invited EU leaders to the summit, where affected countries will discuss protective measures and reconstruction. In addition to the heads of government, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also participate.
The European Parliament already discussed new possibilities for cross-border natural disasters on Wednesday, similar to the reconstruction funds after the COVID-corona period. This will be voted on on Thursday.
So far, the first detailed reports on the impact on the countryside and agriculture in Central Europe come mainly from the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland.
According to an insurer, the highest losses are likely to occur in the Czech Republic, one of the countries hardest hit, adding that insurance for natural disasters is more common in that country than in other affected countries.
Several Czech factories and shops have shut down their production lines, including the BorsodChem chemical plant in Ostrava, the Kofola beverage company and the OKK Koksovny coke plant, one of the largest producers of foundry coke in Europe. Cross-border train connections between Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as between Hungary and Austria, have been suspended.
In Upper Austria, many fields and meadows have been flooded, seriously endangering the harvest of grapes, corn, sunflowers and sugar beets. Meat processors and farmers have also suffered considerable material damage. For example, the factory of meat processor Wiesbauer has been completely flooded, with millions of euros in lost meat products and destroyed machinery.
A pig farmer in Judenau-Baumgarten lost hundreds of animals to rising waters, while crops such as pumpkins are now washing up on the banks of the Danube. The infrastructure of businesses and farms has been badly affected, with machinery destroyed, cellars flooded and harvests destroyed. Some businesses are having to close down for weeks, if not months, to restore hygiene and safety standards, especially those involved in food production such as mushroom farms.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about the extent of the damage. Only after the water has receded will it become clear how much crop and infrastructure has been lost, and how long the recovery will take. According to the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, for freshly sown crops, such as rapeseed or special crops, it will only become clear after some time whether the seeds or seedlings have survived the flood.
The weather situation currently does not allow for sugar beet harvest in Austria. Therefore, the start of the sugar beet campaign will be postponed for at least a week. The cattle will also be brought back from the Alpine pastures early.