[holding answer 26 July 2007]: The Environment Agency (EA) have received £5.9 million in total in relation to flood risk management work (including flood defences) over the last 10 years from the European Union (EU) and will continue to look at the possibility of applications to the EU for flood defence.
Details of the projects, the amount of funding received and the European fund it came from are provided in the following table:
Project name Project topic Amount received by Environment Agency in EU grant/£1 Source of EU funding ACTIF Achieving technological innovation in flood forecasting (ACTIF) 35,000 Framework Programme for Research and Development (DG Research) FRaME (Alkborough) Engineering and public consultation work to produce multiple-benefit wetland area (i.e. has flood benefits but also recreation and wildlife benefits and others) 645,000 Interreg III (DG Regio) FLOWS Looks at risk-based planning and development control in low-lying zones at risk of flooding. 70,000 Interreg III (DG Regio) COMRISK Flood defence planning in coastal lowlands 103,000 Interreg III (DG Regio) COMCOAST Develop and demonstrate an innovative solutions for flood risk management in coastal areas in the East of England 100,000 Interreg III (DG Regio) Floodscape Flood risk management engineering work and public participation work on the River Thames 400,000 Interreg III (DG Regio) New Forest LIFE Flood risk management through re-shaping streams and rivers in the New Forest 300,000 LIFE (DG Environment) Llandovery Flood Alleviation Scheme Creating a flood alleviation scheme 66,000 Objective 1 European Regional Development Fund (2000-06) (DG Regio) Flood Risk Management Wales A large project comprising a number of elements. Focused on flood defence works 2,718,000 Objective 1 European Regional Development Fund (2000-06) (DG Regio) Flood Forecasting Wales Implementing flood forecasting. 359,000 Objective 1 European Regional Development Fund (2000-06) (DG Regio) Flood Defence Improvements Scheme Bungay Flood defence work. 1,100,000 Objective 2 European Regional Development Fund (2000-06) (DG Regio) Total 5,896,000 1 Grant received in euro but amount converted to sterling for reporting here. The money was received in the form of EU funding grants awarded to projects that the EA were involved in either as a partner or a lead partner. The EA have only included here the amount of ED funding received by the Environment Agency for their own work.
I am not aware of any other funding applied for, or received from the European Union for flood defences, or to compensate those affected by flooding.
I have been asked to reply.
No such application has yet been made as we are currently collecting all the information necessary for us to assess the full financial effect of the damage caused by the June and July floods before deciding whether such an application could meet the strict criteria laid down for mobilising the Fund.