Under the motto “Rebuilding together”, the European Commission will host a donors’ conference in Brussels on 16 July to mobilise further support to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the aftermath of the recent floods. The aim of the conference will be to collect pledges from donors for the countries’ recovery. The conference will also contribute to stepping up co-operation over floods and natural disasters in the region, as well as operational coordination. The conference will be co-organised with France and Slovenia.

President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso said EU would continue to assist Serbia with the floods recovery, not only in weeks and months, but in the years to come.

Among numerous EU Member States’ teams sent to Serbia to help flood fighting and join relief efforts, there are water purification units from France and Germany that provide drinking water to inhabitants of Svilajnac, Ćuprija and Obrenovac.

Several EU Member States’ teams have focused on water purification in Svilajnac, Ćuprija, and Obrenovac, whereas the operation of floodwater pumping continues in Obrenovac, Svilajnac and Babušinac.

More than ten days since the first requests for assistance have been submitted the EU Member States continue to assist Serbia at the same pace in flood relief efforts.

Pumping and purification of water in at least six Serbian towns as well as assessments of situation in a number of towns and villages affected by floods are key ongoing activities of EU Member States’ rescuing teams, their team leaders said at a meeting Wednesday.