Cyprus will by next week lodge to the EU an application for financial assistance over the damage inflicted to the island by the July 11 blast in naval base in Mari, in the southeast coast of the island, killing 13 persons, the shockwave of which destroyed Cyprus' main power station in nearby Vasiliko, Head of the Planning Bureau Giorgos Georgiou said on Tuesday.
Speaking to CNA, Georgiou said the Bureau will submit an application for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund and will be invoking the EU Treaty article 122 which provides for EU financial assistance to member-states facing difficulties ''in the supply of certain products, notably in the area of energy,'' which takes place for the first time in the EU.
''The application for assistance from the Solidarity Fund will be submitted before the September 19 deadline,'' Georgiou told CNA, adding that the Bureau ''would like to be absolutely sure on the integrity of the application.''
According to the Fund's rules, the application should be submitted no later than ten weeks after the first damage caused by the disaster.''
''We will not submit the application on September 19 but chances are it will be lodged by next week,'' he added.
Georgiou recalled that a precondition of the solidarity fund notes that in case of a member-state the estimated damage should exceed the 0,6% of the state's GDP or 100 million euro in Cyprus' case, adding that this precondition is met as ''the damage in power station and the economy in general is well over 100 million euro.''
Replying to a question, Georgiou said that Cyprus will request the maximum assistance possible, without elaborating.
Invited to comment on the fact that the EU Solidarity Fund provides aid to member-states in the event of natural disaster, Georgiou said the Fund includes a provision that stipulates that the Fund ''may be mobilised for extraordinary regional disasters resulting in damage inferior to this threshold, affecting the major part of its population.''
''Precisely, will use the Fund under this provision,'' he said, adding that there is a precedent on this issue.
Replying to a question, Georgiou said the application will include the 49 million Euros, granted by the Cypriot government to Cyprus Electricity Authority for the rent of electricity generators to cover the shortage of power supply following the blast, as well as estimates on the damage to the EAC following the destruction of the Vasiliko power plant.
Georgiou said that he will meet next week with EU Commission officials with a view to clarify issues related to the fact that ''the EAC will possibly be compensated by insurance companies.''
Head of the Planning Bureau also noted that Cyprus will invoke the EU Treaty article 122, something taken place for the first time in the EU. Article 122 notes that ''without prejudice to any other procedures provided for in the Treaties, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, may decide, in a spirit of solidarity between Member States, upon the measures appropriate to the economic situation, in particular if severe difficulties arise in the supply of certain products, notably in the area of energy.''
''There is no precedent over this; Cyprus will be the first state to invoke this article. This is an uncharted territory for us,'' he concluded.
