EUR 2 billion to reinforce EU's crisis response capability
Janez Lenarcic - Photo EC
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Commission proposed Tuesday to give the EU the capability to react swiftly when a serious cross-border emergency such as the coronavirus strikes and affects EU countries at the same time.
Part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism - rescEU - will be reinforced with €2 billion over 2021-2027 to create reserves of strategic equipment to cover health emergencies, forest fire outbreaks, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incidents or other major emergencies.
This would reinforce the total budget for the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to a total of of €3.1 billion.
When the coronavirus hit Europe, there was a lack of many kinds of medical equipment across Member States, said the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic: "Yet the EU did not have the power or the means to offer equipment; we could only encourage cooperation.
"Citizens expect the EU to act during a crisis," he added. "We all need to be better prepared and learn the lessons. rescEU will be massively strengthened to leave no EU country behind during a crisis."
Under the Commission's proposal, the EU will create a reserve of crisis response capacities, be able to directly procure equipment and fully finance the development and operational costs of rescEU capabilities.
The Commission has also proposed a substantial boost of its global humanitarian budget by €5 billion, allocating in total €14.8 billion to better respond to growing needs worldwide in the next EU long term budget 2021-2027.
rescEU and Humanitarian Aid under the new MFF - background guide