€1.78bn aid package for Andalucía: How much can self-employed and farmers claim for storm losses?
Agriculture and road repairs receive major funding as President Juanma Moreno warns that full reconstruction will take time following unprecedented Atlantic storms
The regional government of Andalucía has activated its first major reconstruction strategy, the "Andalucía Actúa Plan," following a devastating series of Atlantic storms.
The plan, which totals more than 1.78 billion euros, was approved following a meeting of the damage assessment committee at San Telmo Palace in Seville. Chaired by Junta president Juanma Moreno, the committee coordinated efforts across eight ministries to address the destruction left in six of Andalucía's eight provinces.
Moreno described the meteorological event as "unprecedented," noting that 11,000 people were evacuated from their homes. While thousands have returned, 773 residents remain displaced. "What was destroyed in a few hours will take much longer to rebuild," Moreno cautioned, emphasizing the complexity of the technical response required.
Budget breakdown: Where the €1.78 billion goes
The funding for the plan has been secured through budgetary modifications and is retroactive to 1 January 2026. The primary sector and regional infrastructure are the top priorities.
The plan has earmarked 700 million euros to aid farmers, those most affected by the weather event, and another 550 million euros for road repairs. Work will be done on approximately 1,000 kilometres of roads, where 594 serious incidents have been reported, according to the Junta's president.
There will also be 170 million euros for the repair of minor roads, livestock trails and irrigation systems and 137 million euros for the repair of water infrastructure.
There will be 78 million euros for school repairs, 13 millions for healthcare facilities and 50 million euros for municipal councils. Emergency repair work will start immediately and the plan will remain open for the approval of additional spending, aid or lines of credit if deemed necessary.
A substantial part of the approved plan consists of 35 million euros earmarked for direct aid to the self-employed and SMEs. The self-employed can apply for up to 2,000 euros, paid in instalments of 200 euros per month for ten months, from February to November.
An additional 3,500 euros per employee, also spread over ten months, can be added to this aid. In this way, each self-employed person with two or three employees (the average in Andalucía is approximately 2.5) will be able to receive between 9,000 and 12,500 euros, according to information provided by the Junta de Andalucía.
A unified response
Moreno emphasized that the 'Andalucía Actúa' plan is designed to complement the central Spanish government’s own €7 billion aid package (approximately $8 billion). The Junta has requested that Madrid activate the EU Solidarity Fund and reprogramme European funds to assist the region.
"The people of Andalucía expect coordination and collaboration," Moreno stated. "We are all going to work together so that the region can return to normality." While the Junta is using its own treasury surplus to begin emergency works immediately, the formal request for full EU assistance will follow a comprehensive damage assessment.
