In light of the growing number of emergencies, particularly climate-related disasters, the European Commission is striving for better coordination and new tools to bolster the EU’s crisis response capabilities.

On May 29, the Commission reviewed the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM), a framework that allows national governments to request assistance from other countries when they cannot manage a disaster on their own.

Established in 2001, the EUCPM is accessible to both EU and non-EU countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) identifies Europe as the continent most affected by climate change. As environmental disasters rise, civil protection services will play an increasingly critical role.

Enhanced Coordination: The Commission emphasizes the need for improved internal organization, stating that it is time to develop an integrated approach to crisis management, bringing together all relevant Commission services for coordinated action.

This approach aims to provide better support and integration with national governments, which hold primary responsibility for crisis prevention, preparedness, and response.

The evaluation stresses that such coordination is crucial to prevent inefficiencies and duplication, which could compromise the effective management of European crises expected by citizens.

Responding to Rising Disasters: Alongside coordinating national governments, the Commission highlights its crisis response capabilities. In May, Euractiv visited the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels.

The ERCC works on enhancing cooperation among EU countries in civil protection, especially for managing natural and human-made disasters.

It also has an operational role, deciding on EUCPM activation and coordinating the deployment of personnel, civil protection experts, and equipment.

Between 2017 and 2022, there were over 500 EUCPM activations, five times the average of the previous decade.

In 2022 alone, the mechanism was activated 106 times, addressing fires in southern Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and floods in Pakistan.

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