—
The devastating floods in Spain, the urgent need to support the victims, to improve preparedness and to fight the climate crisis (debate)
The main objective of the S&D Group in requesting the debate was to highlight the need for immediate support to the victims of the recent floods that have devastated large areas of Spain – which have particularly severely affected the Valencian Community – and to fight the climate crisis that underlies these natural disasters. This disaster is not an isolated phenomenon, but a clear symptom of the effects of climate change, which requires coordinated and forceful action from the European Union to protect our communities. The debate revealed a painful division of views on climate change and the response to natural disasters. We argue that the gravity of the situation requires a genuine and responsible commitment from all European representatives. We reiterate our commitment for Europe to urgently provide the necessary support to the affected communities, to defray the emergency, reconstruction and social and economic recovery of the affected urban and agricultural environments, as well as to work on prevention measures that mitigate the effects of future disasters. We will not allow distraction strategies and political attacks to stand in the way of a safer, more sustainable and more resilient Europe.