Ex post Evaluation of the European Union Solidarity Fund 2002-2016 : overview of case study reports

This report provides an overview of the case studies conducted under Task 3 of the Ex Post Evaluation of the European Union Solidarity Fund and constitutes part of the fourth deliverable of the evaluation. The report presents a synthesis of the findings of the case studies relating to EUSF interventions in response to: - forest fires in the regions of Attica, Continental Greece, Peloponnese and Western Greece in August 2007 (case 50) ; - floods and landslides in Madeira (Portugal) in February 2010 (case 72); - earthquakes in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardia and Veneto (Italy) in May 2012 (case 91); - floods in the regions of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Vienna, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg in May and June 2013 (case 102); -flooding in multiple regions (Serbia) in May 2014 (case 112); - floods in the region of South-West Oltenia (Romania) in July and August 2014 (case 115); and - severe weather conditions in Bulgaria, 30 January to 4 February 2015 (case 120). The aim of the case studies is to analyse the implementation and performance of the EUSF as a contribution to understanding the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, added value and solidarity of the EU funding. For each of the interventions, the case studies have a common structure setting out the context for the EUSF support and a brief overview of the intervention. They then examine the experience of implementation, the factors influencing implementation, the relevance of EUSF, the administrative burdens and costs associated with the intervention, the achievements and added value of the EUSF support and the lessons learned. The case studies were carried out by National Experts according to guidance drafted by the EPRC Core Team (and agreed with DG Regio) and subsequently edited and revised by the Core Team.