Union Civil Protection Mechanism and RescEU

3.32 billion (including 2.06 from NGEU)

Prevention, preparedness and response to natural or man-made disasters

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DG / Responsible Agencies: ECHO

Potential beneficiaries

EU public and private entities, national civil defense bodies, health organizations, businesses, etc.

Description and objectives

Epidemics, floods, fires, earthquakes and man-made disasters put increasing pressure on countries’ response capacities, limiting the ability of member states to help each other, especially when several countries face the same type of disaster at the same time. Member states retain a primary responsibility to protect people, the environment, property and land from disasters and to provide their disaster management systems with sufficient capacity to cope. RescEU and the Union Civil Protection Mechanism:

• They support and complement states’ prevention and preparedness efforts for faster and more comprehensive emergency response;
• Strengthen cooperation and coordination between the Union and the Member States in the field of civil protection in order to improve the effectiveness of systems for preventing, preparing for, and responding to natural and man-made disasters;
• They promote solidarity among member and participating states with mechanisms for cooperation and operational coordination.

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism intervenes in all phases of the disaster risk management cycle-prevention, preparedness and response-and can be activated by any country affected by an emergency; it also provides a knowledge network for better coordination and management of these activities.

Under the Union mechanism, RescEU provides a strategic reserve of assets, such as firefighting aircraft and helicopters, stocks of medical and protective equipment, and means to deal with chemical, biological and nuclear incidents, mobilized when national capabilities are in trouble. In addition, a new Union Civil Defense Knowledge Network facilitates the coordination of these activities.

The specific objectives of the Mechanism are:

• Achieve a high level of disaster protection through a culture of prevention and better cooperation among national services;
• Improve preparedness at the level of member states and the Union to respond to disasters (European civil protection pool and rescEU);
• Facilitate rapid and efficient response to disasters;
• Increase public awareness and disaster preparedness;
• Increase the availability and use of scientific knowledge about disasters;
• Intensify cooperation and coordination activities across borders and among member states subject to the same types of disasters.

Types of actions and projects

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism provides:

• A large-scale training and exercise program for national civil defense experts;
• A system of compatibility and complementarity among intervention teams;
• RescEU, a European pool of assets (human and material) to be mobilized for states’ emergency response through an Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC);
• Prevention, research, innovation and knowledge transfer activities;
• Support for transportation and/or operational costs;
• Financial support for relief capabilities registered in the European Civil Defense Pool.

RescEU resources are hosted by member and participating states and funded by the EU budget in the form of grants and contracts. When the mechanism is activated, the Emergency Response Coordination Center channels the assistance provided by member and participating states.

Highlights

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism integrates different lines from the previous programming period into a single program, capitalizing on its achievements and the experience accumulated over months of combating the emergency, which prompted some adjustments (e.g., mechanisms of full funding and direct procurement by the European Commission for the acquisition of the necessary means for RescEU).