The February storm caused €25 million worth of damage, a statement by the government revealed.

In the statement, the government said that in the coming days it will be initiating the process to assist farmers who suffered from structural damages during the storm which occurred in February 2019.

"The Government is committed to finding an adequate solution and is considering aid for damages which affected agricultural products. This is the first time that the government will be directly aiding farmers following storm damages. The government is also committed to continue to assist and support farmers, as it recognises the significant consequences of such incidents resulting from extraordinary natural events."

"In February the Government formally applied for EU funds to repair the damages across the country. The assessed damages amounted to €25 million. For a country to be eligible to benefit from the European Solidarity Fund (EUSF), the damages must amount to 0.6% of the Gross National Income (GNI) or 1.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) - €62 million, in the case of Malta. Based on this information, Malta was not eligible for this support."

In reaction, PN MEP candidate Francis Zammit Dimech said: "It is unfortunate that Malta will not be able to mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to make good for the €25 million worth of damage caused in February. This calls for an assessment of the fund and how it can help small countries such as Malta."