The EU has promised emergency funding and unbureacratic help for the countries affected by historic flooding, writes Derek Scally, in Dresden
Mr Romano Prodi, the president of the European Commission, made the pledge after meeting the German, Austrian, Czech and Slovak leaders in Berlin yesterday evening. "We must do everything possible to help," he said, promising to maximise "the limited means" at his disposal.
Flood waters continued to surge northwards through Germany last night, sending more than 60,000 fleeing. Water levels began to drop in Dresden yesterday and flowed further downstream, overwhelming dams and swamping several smaller towns, including the historic city of Wittenberg.
In Budapest, the swollen River Danube burst its banks yesterday after reaching its highest level for 100 years. More than 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes and soldiers worked alongside volunteers last night to reinforce the city's flood defences.
The Hungarian capital is just the latest city to fall victim to the flooding, which has already claimed more than 100 lives and will cost billions of euros to clean up.
The EU plans to bring forward the distribution of regional aid already agreed in the current budget to aid member-states affected by the flooding. Under the budget, which runs until 2006, Germany was allocated regional aid worth €20 billion, while Austria's allocation totalled €900 million.
The German chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, declined yesterday to comment on speculation that the cost of the floods might force Germany to breach the EU's stability pact budgetary guidelines.