What is civil protection?
When a disaster overwhelms a country’s own response, it can ask for help through the EU civil protection mechanism (UCPM). Any country in the world can do this. The European Commission then coordinates assistance and helps cover transport and operational costs.
Civil protection support can take many forms when a request for help is made through the EU’s emergency response coordination centre (ERCC). The aid provided includes:
- supplies such as medicines, shelter items and water purification units
- specialised teams, for example firefighters or search and rescue teams
- experts on the ground to assess needs and coordinate support
- repatriation of EU citizens from disaster areas
Facts and figures
Since 2001, the UCPM has been activated over 830 times to respond to emergencies.
The ERCC has a fully staffed, 24/7 duty system to monitor global events and react to potential emergencies in real time, day and night.
How does the EU provide civil protection assistance?
Countries struck by large-scale disasters are often overwhelmed and their response capacity is limited. Therefore it is vital to have a coordinated response at EU level. Following a request, the ERCC mobilises assistance or expertise.
Follow the steps:
- A disaster happens inside or outside the EU
- The affected country requests assistance via the ERCC, the operational heart of the UCPM
- Member and participating states offer assistance, such as equipment or response teams
- The ERCC can also mobilise assistance from the EU strategic reserve – rescEU (firefighting aircraft, protective equipment, generators, etc)
- The affected country accepts offers corresponding to their operational needs
- The ERCC coordinates and co-finances the delivery of assistance
- Assistance is delivered and the operation is closed
In addition to the 27 EU countries, certain non-EU countries (known as participating states) participate in the mechanism:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
What is the EU doing to be prepared?
Extreme weather events resulting from climate change are becoming more frequent, intense and persistent. The EU is stepping up its collective ability to prepare for increasingly complex and frequent disasters.
Prevention and preparedness
Working with national civil protection authorities, the EU:
The EU also focuses on disaster risk reduction through risk assessments, research on resilience and stronger early warning systems. European early warning and information systems help the ERCC track hazards such as:
How does the EU take action?
Main thematic policies
The EU works with national civil protection authorities also to support, complement, and coordinate their efforts in prevention and risk management planning.
Here are some of the main thematic policy areas and mechanisms through which the EU strengthens collective resilience and reinforces solidarity in disaster risk management.