Artikelen bij COM(2025)548 - Union Civil Protection Mechanism and Union support for health emergency preparedness and response, and repealing Decision No 1313/2013/EU (Union Civil Protection Mechanism)

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dossier COM(2025)548 - Union Civil Protection Mechanism and Union support for health emergency preparedness and response, and repealing Decision No ...
document COM(2025)548 EN
datum 16 juli 2025


Inhoudsopgave

TITLE - I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Chapter 1
Subject matter, scope and definitions

Article 1 - Subject matter

1. This Regulation provides for the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (the ‘Union Mechanism’) and lays down the Union support for health emergency preparedness and response. It sets out objectives, budget for the period 2028-2034, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.

2. This Regulation lays down in particular:

(a)rules on the functioning of the Union Mechanism including specific measures on prevention, preparedness and response,

(b)rules on the functioning of the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (‘ERCC’) as the Union Mechanism’s coordinating body,

(c)rules on the establishment of the Crisis Coordination Hub (‘the Hub’) as the overall structure facilitating situational awareness and operational cross-sectoral preparedness and coordination,

(d)support measures for health emergency preparedness and response.

Article 2 - Scope

1. This Regulation shall aim to ensure the protection of people, environment and property, cultural heritage, against all kinds of natural and human-induced disasters, including serious cross-border threats to health.

2. This Regulation shall enable cross-sectoral coordination in situations where other Union crisis response or risk management mechanisms are applied. The provisions of the Regulation shall be without prejudice to the High Representative’s competences in the external dimension of crises, including missions and operations conducted under the Common Security and Defence Policy.

3. This Regulation shall not affect obligations under existing legal acts of the Union or under existing international agreements nor the Commission competences on security of the Commission personnel, assets and information. It shall be applied without prejudice to and in complementarity with other legal acts of the Union laying down specific rules on response or risk management relating to crises, including health emergency preparedness and response.

4. Title II of this Regulation lays down the rules for:

(a)prevention and preparedness actions in the Member States,

(b)actions in third countries, relating to the mobilisation and dispatch of experts and European Union Civil Protection Teams (‘EUCP Teams’) that provide advice on prevention and preparedness measures, as well as cooperation on training, and sharing of knowledge and experience under the Knowledge Network, and

(c)actions to assist with the response to an imminent disaster or immediate adverse consequences of a disaster in the Member States or third countries, following a request for assistance in accordance with Article 28.

5. Title III of this Regulation lays down rules for Union support for health emergency preparedness and response, in particular for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 and of the Regulation (EU) 2022/2372.

6. The establishment of stockpiles referred to in Title III shall be made in accordance with Article 21, except for medical countermeasures that are not defined as rescEU.

7. Where applying the prevention, preparedness and response measures under this Regulation, the special needs of isolated, outermost and other regions or islands of the Union in terms of prevention, preparedness and response.

8. Response under this Regulation shall take into account the special needs of the overseas countries and territories in terms of response.

Article 3 - Definitions

For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

(1) ‘disaster’ means a situation, regardless of its origin, which has or may have a severe impact on people, public health, environment, critical infrastructure or property, including cultural heritage;

(2) ‘crisis’ means any ongoing or imminent disaster which has an impact or a potential to impact  multiple sectors simultaneously without prejudice to the meaning of crisis in Article 2, point (22), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 applicable in procurement procedures;

(3) ‘sector’ means a specific area of interlinked societal, governmental and economic activity, in particular health, environment, transport, energy, security, and other areas of activity vulnerable to disasters.

(4) ‘assistance’ means experts, modules, other response capacities or technical assistance and support teams, together with their equipment and in-kind assistance, including relief materials or supplies, as well as offers by Union institutions, agencies and bodies and other capabilities needed to mitigate the immediate consequences of a disaster or a crisis;

(5) ‘preparedness’ means a state of readiness and capability of human and material means, structures, systems, communities and organisations enabling them to ensure an effective rapid response, obtained as a result of action taken in advance;

(6) ‘prevention’ means actions aimed at reducing risks or mitigating potential adverse consequences of a disaster for people, public health, the environment and property, including cultural heritage;

(7) ‘Union disaster resilience goals’ means objectives established by the Commission in cooperation with Member States in the area of civil protection to support prevention and preparedness actions for the purpose of improving the capacity of the Union and its Member States to withstand the effects of a disaster which causes or is capable of causing transboundary effects;

(8) ‘Common Emergency Communication and Information System’ (CECIS) means a web-based platform developed and maintained by the Commission that facilitates real-time exchange of information between Member States and the ERCC.

(9) ‘early warning’ means the timely and effective provision of information that allows action to be taken to avoid or reduce risks and the adverse impacts of a disaster, and to facilitate preparedness for an effective response;

(10) ‘module’ means a self-sufficient and autonomous predefined task- and needs-driven arrangement of Member States’ capabilities or a mobile operational team of the Member States, representing a combination of human and material means that can be described in terms of its capacity for intervention or by the task(s) it is able to undertake, and for which minimal technical requirements were defined;

(11) ‘technical assistance and support team’ (‘TAST’) means the human and material resources assigned by one or more Member States to fulfil logistical and support tasks;

(12) ‘intervention team’ means a specialised group composed of trained personnel and equipped with resources to respond swiftly and effectively to the consequences of disasters, not pre-committed to the European Civil Protection Pool or established as part of rescEU;

(13) ‘European Union Civil Protection Team’ (‘EUCP Team’) means a team composed of experts and, where necessary, a TAST, that is selected and deployed by the ERCC under terms of reference related to a request for prevention or preparedness expertise or an emergency response in the context of an ongoing request for assistance;

(14) ‘dual-use’ means assets and capacities to be deployed in civil and military context;

(15) ‘risk assessment’ means the overall cross-sectoral process of risk identification, risk analysis, and risk evaluation undertaken at national or appropriate sub-national level;

(16) ‘risk management capability’ means the ability of a Member State or its regions to reduce, adapt to or mitigate risks (impacts and likelihood of a disaster), identified in its risk assessments to levels that are acceptable in that Member State. Risk management capability is assessed in terms of the technical, financial and administrative capacity to carry out adequate risk assessments, risk management planning for prevention and preparedness, and risk prevention and preparedness measures;

(17) ‘host nation support’ means any action undertaken in the preparedness and response phases by the country receiving or sending assistance, or by the Commission, to remove foreseeable obstacles to international assistance offered through the Union Mechanism. It includes support from Member States to facilitate the transiting of this assistance through their territory;

(18) ‘logistical support’ means the essential equipment or services required for response capacities to perform their tasks, including the establishment of logistical hubs;

(19) ‘medical evacuation’ means a series of coordinated actions allowing for organised transport of individuals in need of medical care from disaster-affected areas to appropriate medical facilities, either in a Member State and in case of Union citizens also in third countries;

(20) ‘medical evacuation hub’ means a transit facility established under the Union Mechanism that temporarily receives evacuated patients and their accompanying persons, provides medical triage, patients’ stabilisation and continuous (24/7) care, and if necessary organises their transport under the coordination of the ERCC, to healthcare facilities in a Member State; the medical evacuation hub comprises the physical site, its medical and logistical personnel, the equipment and support services necessary to ensure the safe hand-over of patients from the requesting State to the country offering medical treatment;

(21) ‘operational costs’ means all the costs of running a capacity or deploying an expert or EUCP Team during an operation. Such costs may include costs related to personnel, international and local transport, logistics, security, consumables and supplies, maintenance, as well as other costs necessary to ensure the effective use of such capacities;

(22) ‘transport costs’ means costs related to the movement of transport and logistical resources to the place indicated by the requesting Member State, third country or organisation, including the costs of all services, fees, logistical, handling costs and other transport needs related to a response, fuel and possible accommodation costs as well as other indirect costs such as taxes, duties in general and transit costs;

(23) ‘associated country’ means a third country that has signed an agreement with the Union to participate in actions under this Regulation under the same conditions as Member States. Reference to Member States shall be construed as including associated States, unless otherwise specified;

(24) ‘medical countermeasures’ means medical countermeasures within the meaning of Article 3, point (10), of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371;

(25) ‘serious cross-border threats to health’ means threats referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 as well as radiological and nuclear threats.

Chapter - 2

Objectives and financial provisions

Article 4 - Objectives

1. The general objective of this Regulation shall be to strengthen cooperation between the Union and the Member States to prevent, prepare for and respond to all kinds of natural and human-induced disasters with a view to consequence management, and serious cross-border threats to health, that may occur inside or outside the Union, as well as situations where they impact several sectors simultaneously.

2. The general objective referred to in paragraph 1 shall be pursued through the following specific objectives:

(a)strengthen the understanding and anticipation of disaster risks and threats, including those linked to climate change and public health, and work proactively to prevent or mitigate their potential impacts; foster prevention and preparedness; and enhance collaboration between civil protection, health and other relevant authorities;

(b)facilitate, notably through the Knowledge Network, capacity building at Union and Member State level, in particular by fostering and increasing the uptake and use of research and innovation results in disaster and crisis, by providing and conducting capacity building programmes such as training and exercises, peer reviews, deployment of experts and EUCP Teams that provide advice on prevention and preparedness measures, as well as other expertise, as well as technical and financial assistance to support strategies, plans and investments, foster prevention, preparedness and resilience;

(c)enhance preparedness at Member State and Union level, including all levels of society, to respond to disasters, in particular (i) with the support of the ERCC and the Hub, and their communication and information structures for coordination and situational awareness among authorities of the Member States and existing EU crisis management structures, (ii) by supporting the development and maintenance of effective early warning systems to detect and communicate imminent threats of disasters, allowing for timely action to be taken to prevent or mitigate impacts, (iii) by developing and maintaining response capacities, strengthening their interoperability and considering their potential dual use in case of crisis, (iv) by promoting the integration of disaster risk prevention and preparedness considerations into policies and financial frameworks at national and Union level, with the aim of strengthening long-term resilience, (v) by facilitating preparedness and resilience among all actors and stakeholders, including all levels of government, civil and military authorities, civil society, the private sector, and the provision of vital societal functions with a view to strengthening overall population preparedness and societal resilience;

(d)facilitate rapid and efficient response inside the Union, including in the countries referred to in Article 9(1), as well as outside of the Union, following a request for assistance in accordance with Article 28;

(e)to support Member States’ and Union preparedness and response to cross-sectoral crises, in particular by upscaling assistance to address their intensity and impact, as well as by supporting response to crises initiated under other Union crisis response or risk management instruments where required, including through the Hub, and by supporting the cooperation and coordination between relevant civil and military actors, in particular by supporting the establishment of comprehensive civil-military preparedness arrangements;

(f)to enhance Member States’ and Union efforts in health emergency preparedness and response by:

(i) strengthening the capability for prevention, preparedness and rapid response to serious cross-border threats to health, in particular by supporting health security policies and solutions, improving data collection, early warning and surveillance systems, and

(ii) improving the supply of medical countermeasures by enhancing their availability and accessibility of medical countermeasures, in particular through reservation capacities, procurement, stockpiling and deployment, as well as

(iii) coordination actions and strengthening capacity building.

Article 5 - EU civil-military preparedness and cooperation

The Commission shall work jointly with the High Representative to:

(a)contribute to the development of measures to enhance civil-military preparedness and coordination of response within the Union, in consultation with the Member States; 

(b)develop arrangements to clarify roles and responsibilities and lay down priorities for preparing and responding to disasters and crises within the Union as well as Union-wide scenarios to form the basis of Union-level training and exercises, best practices, including standard operating procedures, and mechanisms for effective cooperation and communication in crisis scenarios.

Article 6 - Budget

1. The indicative financial envelope for the implementation of the Regulation for the period 2028-2034 is set at EUR 10 675 000 000 in current prices.

2. Budgetary commitments for activities extending over more than one financial year may be broken down over several years into annual instalments.

3. Appropriations may be entered in the Union budget beyond 2034 to cover the expenses necessary and to enable the management of actions not completed by 2034.

4. The financial envelope referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and the amounts of additional resources referred to in Article 7 may also be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Regulation, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, corporate information technology systems and platforms, information and communication activities, including corporate communication on the political priorities of the Union, and all other technical and administrative assistance or staff related expenses incurred by the Commission for the management under this Regulation.

5. In addition to Article 12(4) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, commitment and payment appropriations that have not been used by the end of the financial year for which they were entered in the annual budget shall be automatically carried over and may be respectively committed and paid up to 31 December of the following year. The carried-over appropriations shall be used solely for response actions. The carried-over appropriations shall be the first appropriations to be used in the following financial year.

Article 7 - Additional resources

6. Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, or other third parties, may make additional financial or non-financial contributions under this Regulation. Additional financial contributions shall constitute external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2), points (a), (d), or (e) or Article 21(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

7. Resources allocated to Member States under shared management may, at their request, be made available under this Regulation. The Commission shall implement those resources directly or indirectly in accordance with Article 62(1), points (a) or (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. They shall be additional to the amount referred to in Article 6(1) of this Regulation. Those resources shall be used for the benefit of the Member State concerned. Where the Commission has not entered into a legal commitment under direct or indirect management for additional amounts thus made available under this Regulation, the corresponding uncommitted amounts may, at the request of the Member State concerned, be transferred back to one or more respective source programmes or their successors.

Article 8 - Alternative, combined and cumulative funding

1. This Regulation shall be implemented in synergy with Union programmes. An action that has received a Union contribution from another programme may also receive a contribution under this Regulation. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution, or a single set of rules may be applied to all contributions and a single legal commitment may be concluded. If all Union contributions are provided based on eligible cost, the cumulative support from the Union budget shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the action and may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support.

2. Award procedures under this Regulation may be jointly conducted under direct or indirect management with Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, or other third parties (‘partners to the joint award procedure’), provided the protection of the financial interests of the Union is ensured. Such procedures shall be subject to a single set of rules and lead to the conclusion of single legal commitments. For that purpose, the partners to the joint award procedure may make resources available to the Union Programme in accordance with Article 7 of this Regulation, or the partners may be entrusted with the implementation of the award procedure, where applicable in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. In joint award procedures representatives of the partners to the joint award procedure may also be members of the evaluation committee referred to in Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

Article 9 - Associated third countries

1. The association under this Regulation may be opened to the following third countries through full of partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 4 and in accordance with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to:

(a)members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, as well as European micro-states;

(b)acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates;

(c)European Neighbourhood Policy countries;

(d)other third countries.

2. The association agreements for participation under this Regulation shall:

(a)ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country associated under this Regulation;

(b)lay down the conditions of participation under this Regulation, including the calculation of financial contributions, consisting of an operational contribution and a participation fee and its general administrative costs;

(c)not confer any decision-making power under this Regulation;

(d)guarantee the rights of the Union to ensure sound financial management and to protect its financial interests;

(e)where relevant, ensure the protection of security and public order interests of the Union.

For the purposes of point (d), the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required under Regulations (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, and guarantee that enforcement decisions imposing a pecuniary obligation on the basis of Article 299 of the Treaty, as well as judgements and orders of the Court of Justice of the European Union, are enforceable.

Article 10 - Implementation and forms of Union funding

1. This Regulation shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c), of that Regulation.

2. Union funding may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement and non-financial donations.

3. Direct grants may be awarded by the Commission to Member States without a call for proposals for actions under the specific objectives referred to in Article 4(2) in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

4. Grants under the specific objective referred to in Article 4(2) may be used in combination with financing from the European Investment Bank, banks in the Union or associated countries or from other development or public financial institutions, as well as in combination with financing from private sector finance institutions and from public-sector or private-sector investors, including through public-public or public-private partnerships.

5. Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, funding shall be provided as financing not linked to costs or, where necessary, simplified cost options, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. Funding may be provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement only where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise.

6. For the purposes of Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, the evaluation committee may be composed partially or fully of independent external experts.

Article 11 - Eligibility

1. Eligibility criteria shall be set to support achievement of the objectives laid down in Article 4(2), in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and shall apply to all award procedures under this Regulation.

2. In award procedures for direct and indirect management, one or more of the following legal entities may be eligible to receive Union funding:

(a)entities established in a Member State;

(b)entities established in an associated third country;

(c)international organisations;

(d)other entities established in non-associated third countries where the funding of such entities is essential for implementing the action and contributes to the objectives laid down in Article 4(2).

3. In addition to Article 168(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, associated third countries referred to in Article 9(1) of this Regulation may, where relevant, participate in and benefit from any procurement mechanisms set out in Article 168(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. Non-associated third countries may participate in the procurement procedures set out in Article 168(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 if it is necessary to achieve the objectives referred to in Article 4, and subject to the agreement of all participating countries.

4. Award procedures affecting security or public order, in particular concerning strategic assets and interests of the Union or its Member States, shall be restricted in accordance with Article 136 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

5. In award procedures for grants, actions shall not be eligible for funding where those actions or parts thereof, are already fully financed from other public or private sources, except contributions from the Union in the context of synergy actions referred to in Article 8.

6. The work programme referred to in Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 or the documents related to the award procedure may further specify the eligibility criteria set out in this Regulation or set additional eligibility criteria for specific actions.

Article 12 - Work programme

The Regulation shall be implemented by work programmes referred to in Article 110 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

TITLE II - CIVIL PROTECTION


Chapter 1
Risk Assessment and Risk Management Planning

Article 13 - Union disaster resilience goals

The Commission, in cooperation with Member States, shall further develop Union disaster resilience goals in the field of civil protection, and adopt recommendations to define them as a common baseline to support prevention and preparedness actions. Those goals shall be based on current and forward-looking scenarios, including on space data from Copernicus, and those concerned with the impacts of climate change on disaster risks, data on past events and cross-sectoral impact analysis, with particular attention given to vulnerable groups. When developing Union disaster resilience goals, the Commission shall take into account recurrent disasters that hit Member States and suggest that Member States take specific measures, including any measures to be implemented with the use of Union funds, to strengthen resilience to such disasters.

Article 14 - National risk assessment and risk management planning

In order to promote an effective and coherent approach to prevention and preparedness within the Union Mechanism, Member States shall:

(a)further develop disaster risk assessments at national or appropriate sub-national level and ensure coordination and consistency with other relevant risk assessment processes as well as public availability of their non-sensitive results to support population risk awareness and preparedness;

(b)further develop the assessment of disaster risk management capability at national or appropriate sub-national level;

(c)further develop and refine disaster risk management planning at national or appropriate subnational level, including as regards cross-border collaboration and risks with the potential for transboundary effects, taking into account the Union disaster resilience goals and ensure coordination and consistency with other relevant planning processes.

(d)in line with international commitments, improve the collection and dissemination of disaster loss data at national or appropriate sub-national level, including by better utilising space data.

Article 15 - Sharing of national risk management information

To foster the development of a shared understanding of disaster risks and threats at Union level, identify common needs in disaster risk management capability building, support the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals, and facilitate the exchange of good practices, the Member States, without prejudice to national rules and procedures, shall make available to the Commission a summary in accordance with the guidelines referred to in Article 16(2), by 31 December 2028 and at least once every 5 years thereafter:

(a)risk assessments at national or appropriate sub-national level, including assessment of risks or disasters with the potential for transboundary effects;

(b)assessment of disaster risk management capabilities and response capacities at national or appropriate sub-national level;

(c)activities supporting the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals;

(d)investment needs in disaster risk management that require, or could benefit from, support under the relevant Union instruments.

Article 16 - Union level action on risk assessment and risk management planning

1. To enhance the understanding of disaster risks facing the Union and inform coordinated preparedness, and based on the summaries referred to in Article 16 and considering any other available cross-sectoral data, including space data, on identification of risks, including at Union level, as well as the work of the Knowledge Network, the Commission shall:

(a)produce at least once every 5 years a report providing a cross-sectoral overview of natural and human-induced disaster risks that the Union faces, and the progress made in the implementation of Article 14 and the Union disaster resilience goals referred to in Article 13;

(b)establish and regularly review disaster scenarios at Union level for prevention, preparedness and response;

(c)produce at least once every 5 years, a report on response capacities and relevant capabilities at Union level, and remaining gaps in relation to response capacities at national or appropriate sub-national level as referred to in Article 15, point (b), while taking into account relevant capacity goals and performance targets. The report shall also provide an overview of the budgetary and cost developments relating to response capacities and an assessment of the need for further development of those capacities.

2. The Commission shall develop and update, together with the Member States, guidelines on the submission of the summary referred to in Article 15.

3. The Commission may request that Member States provide additional information on specific prevention and preparedness measures related to risks leading to regularly occurring or particularly impactful disasters, and if appropriate:

(a)propose the deployment of experts to provide advice on prevention and preparedness measures; or

(b)make recommendations to strengthen the level of prevention and preparedness in the Member State concerned. The Commission and that Member State shall keep each other informed about any measures taken following such recommendations.

Chapter 2
Capacity building and preparedness

Article 17 - Capacity building tools

The Commission shall support Member States to enhance their capacity in dealing with risks by providing access to tools such as training and exercises programmes, technical and financial assistance, peer reviews, deployment of experts and EUCP Teams that provide advice on prevention and preparedness measures and other provision of expertise, learning and knowledge sharing, and support to uptake of research and innovation results in disaster risk management.

Article 18 - Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network

1. The Knowledge Network shall aggregate, process and disseminate knowledge and information relevant to the Union Mechanism and to support collaborative initiatives of civil protection and disaster risk management actors within the Union, including civil society organisations, local and regional authorities, private sector and the research community and based on a multi-hazard approach.

2. The Commission shall, through the Knowledge Network, take due account of the expertise available in the Member States, including across all levels of government, at Union level, at the level of international organisations and entities, at the level of third countries and at the level of organisations active on the ground.

3. The Commission and the Member States shall promote gender-balanced and inclusive participation in the establishment and the functioning of the Knowledge Network.

4. The Commission shall, through the Knowledge Network, support coherence of planning and decision-making processes by facilitating the continuous exchange of knowledge and information involving all areas of activity under the Union Mechanism.

5. The Commission shall, through the Knowledge Network, support Member States in raising disaster risk awareness of the population.

6. The Commission, through the Network, shall in particular:

(a)strengthen the collective capacity to prevent, prepare and respond effectively to disasters and to support knowledge sharing and learning, as well as to promote investment in disaster risk management. This includes:

(i)the set-up and management of financial assistance programmes in order to enhance risk management and knowledge sharing and to encourage the development of investments and plans for prevention and preparedness;

(ii) the set-up and management of a training and exercise programme, and an exchange of experts programme for civil protection and disaster and crisis management personnel covering the prevention, preparedness and response. The programmes shall focus on and encourage the exchange of best practices in the field of civil protection, disaster and crisis management, and include joint courses. The exchange of expertise in the area of disaster and crisis management shall include exchanges of professionals and experienced volunteers. The training and exercises and the exchange of experts programmes shall aim to strengthen cooperation and coordination between Member States and the Commission in the field of civil protection, disaster and crisis management and to enhance the coordination, compatibility and complementarity of capacities referred to in Articles 20 and 21, and to improve the competence of experts as referred to in Article 33;

(iii)the set-up and management of programmes for the provision and exchange of expertise.

(b)strengthen the dissemination and uptake of research and innovation results in all phases of civil protection and disaster risk management, and stimulating interaction between research and innovation results, the private sector, and Member State authorities.

(c)Collect and manage the lessons learnt from civil protection actions conducted within the framework of the Union Mechanism, including aspects from the entire disaster management cycle, to provide a broad basis for learning processes and knowledge development. This shall include:

(i)monitoring, analysing and evaluating all the relevant civil protection actions within the Union Mechanism;

(ii)promoting implementation of lessons learnt in order to obtain an experience-based foundation for the development of activities within the disaster management cycle; and

(iii)developing methods and tools for gathering, analysing, promoting and implementing lessons learnt.

This action shall include, where appropriate, lessons learnt from interventions outside the Union with regard to exploiting links and synergies between assistance provided under the Union Mechanism and humanitarian response;

(d)maintain an online platform serving the Knowledge Network to support and facilitate the implementation of the different tasks referred to in points (a), (b) and (c).

7. When carrying out the tasks set out in paragraph 1, the Commission shall take particular account of the needs and interests of Member States facing disaster risks of a similar nature, as well as of the need to strengthen the protection of biodiversity and cultural heritage.

8. The Commission shall strengthen cooperation on capacity building, uptake of research and innovation results, and shall promote the sharing of knowledge and experience, between the Network and international organisations and third countries, in particular in order to contribute to meeting international commitments, particularly those in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

9. The Network shall also promote the operational uptake of Union-funded innovative solutions, and support Member States in identifying and applying state-of-the-art technologies and approaches, including through innovation procurement and public-private partnerships.

10. The organisation of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network shall be laid down in an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

Article 19 - General preparedness actions

1. Member States shall, on a voluntary basis, develop response capacities in accordance with Articles 20 and 21.

2. The Commission shall support Member States in raising disaster risk awareness of the population.

3. At the request of a Member State, the Commission may support and coordinate stand-by allocation of response capacities and intervention teams, including for training, exercises, exchange of knowledge and improving interoperability of capacities and intervention teams.

4. Member States may, subject to appropriate security safeguards, provide information about relevant military response capacities that could be used as part of the assistance through the Union Mechanism, such as transport and logistical or medical support.

5. Member States shall provide to the Commission relevant information on the experts, modules and other response capacities that they make available for assistance through the Union Mechanism and update this information when necessary.

6. Member States shall take the appropriate preparedness actions to facilitate host nation support.

7. The Commission shall award medals to recognise and honour longstanding commitment and extraordinary contributions to the Union Mechanism. The award of medals shall be made in accordance with the implementing acts adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

8. Without prejudice to Article 9, the Commission may coordinate policy priorities, as well as, where necessary, coordinate operational activities, with the national authorities of a third country, designated as strategic partner country, that has aligned objectives in the field of civil protection, or with which the Union has concluded security and defence agreement.

Article 20 - European Civil Protection Pool

1. The European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP) shall consist of a pool of voluntarily committed response capacities of the Member States and include modules, other response capacities, categories of experts and technical assistance and support teams (TAST). The Commission shall lay down rules for the identification of Member States experts, modules and other response capacities as well as operational requirements for the functioning and interoperability of modules and deployment in an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

2. The assistance provided by a Member State through the ECPP shall be complementary to existing capacities in the requesting Member State, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of Member States for disaster prevention and response on their territory.

3. On the basis of identified risks and any existing scenario-building as referred to in point (b) of Article 16(1), the Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, define the types and specify the number of key response capacities required for the ECPP (‘response capacity goals’). Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

4. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, shall monitor progress towards the response capacity goals set out in the implementing acts referred to in paragraph 3, and identify potentially significant response capacity gaps in the ECPP. Where such gaps have been identified, the Commission shall examine whether the necessary capacities are available to the Member States outside the ECPP. The Commission shall encourage Member States to address significant response capacity gaps in the ECPP, in accordance with the report referred to in point (c) of Article 17(1).

5. By means of an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2), the Commission shall establish and manage a process for certification and registration of the response capacities that the Member States make available to the ECPP and define the quality and interoperability requirements of the response capacities.

6. Member States shall on a voluntary basis identify, commit and register the response capacities which they offer to the ECPP, including relevant military capacities that could be used as part of assistance. The registration of multinational modules provided by two or more Member States shall be undertaken jointly by all the Member States concerned.

7. The response capacities that Member States make available for the ECPP shall remain available for national purposes at all times.

8. Response capacities that Member States make available for the ECPP shall be available for response operations under the Union Mechanism following a request for assistance through the ERCC. The ultimate decision on their deployment shall be taken by the Member States which registered the response capacity concerned. Where domestic emergencies, force majeure or, in exceptional cases, serious reasons prevent a Member State from making those response capacities available in case of a specific disaster, that Member State shall inform the Commission as soon as possible by referring to this Article.

9. In the event of deployment, Member States' response capacities shall remain under their command and control and can be withdrawn, upon consultation with the Commission, where domestic emergencies, force majeure or, in exceptional cases, serious reasons prevent a Member State from keeping those response capacities available. The coordination among the different response capacities shall be facilitated where appropriate by the Commission through the ERCC in accordance with Article 25.

Article 21 - rescEU

1. rescEU shall provide assistance to complement the overall existing response capacities at national level and those committed by Member States to the ECPP or fulfil operational needs to ensure an effective and rapid response to requests for assistance made in accordance with Article 28.

2. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, define the response capacities rescEU shall consist of, based, among other things, on Union risk assessments in accordance with Article 16(1), taking into account identified and emerging risks and overall capacities and gaps at Union level. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

3. rescEU capacities shall be acquired, rented, leased, otherwise contracted by or donated to the Member States.

4. rescEU capacities, as defined by means of implementing acts adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2), may be rented, leased or otherwise contracted by the Commission to the extent necessary to address the gaps in the area of transport and logistics.

5. In duly justified cases of urgency, the Commission may acquire, rent, lease or otherwise contract capacities determined by means of implementing acts adopted in accordance with the urgency procedure referred to in Article 35(2). Such implementing acts shall:

(a)determine the necessary type and quantity of material means and any necessary enabling support services, already defined as rescEU capacities; and/or

(b)define additional material means and any necessary enabling support services as rescEU capacities and determine the necessary type and quantity of those capacities.

6. rescEU capacities shall be hosted by the Member States or the Commission. The Commission and the Member States shall, where appropriate, ensure an adequate geographical distribution of rescEU capacities.

7. The Commission shall define quality requirements, by means of implementing acts, for the response capacities forming part of rescEU, in consultation with the Member States. The quality requirements shall be based on established international standards, where such standards already exist. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

8. rescEU capacities may only be used for national purposes, including dual-use capacities, when not being used or needed for response.

9. rescEU capacities shall be used, including for deployment, national use, loaning or donations, including for managing rescEU strategic reserves, in accordance with implementing acts adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

10. rescEU capacities shall be available for response following a request for assistance through the ERCC in accordance with Article 28. The decision on their deployment and demobilisation, and any decision in the event of conflicting requests, shall be taken by the Commission, through the ERCC, in close coordination with the requesting Member State and the Member State hosting the response capacity.

11. Where rescEU capacities consist of equipment or consumable goods, the Commission, through the ERCC, may decide to either donate or loan the offered rescEU capacities.

12. The Member State on the territory of which rescEU capacities are deployed shall be responsible for directing response operations. In the event of deployments outside the Union, Member States hosting rescEU capacities shall be responsible for ensuring that rescEU capacities are fully integrated into the overall response.

13. In the event of deployment, the Commission shall, through the ERCC, agree with the requesting Member State on the operational deployment of rescEU capacities. The requesting Member State shall facilitate operational coordination of its own capacities and rescEU activities during operations.

14. The coordination of the different response capacities shall be facilitated, where appropriate, by the Commission through the ERCC.

15. Member States shall be informed of the operational status of rescEU capacities through CECIS.

16. Subject to the operational needs within Member States, rescEU capacities may be deployed in response to disasters and crises outside the Union that have a significant impact on the Union or on Member States or are of an international concern.

17. When rescEU capacities are deployed in third countries, in specific cases, Member States may refuse to deploy their own personnel, in accordance with the implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

Article 22 - rescEU transitional

1. Until 2034, Union support may be provided to cover 75 % of the costs necessary to ensure rapid access to national capacities corresponding to those defined in accordance with Article 21(2).

2. The capacities referred to paragraph 1 shall be designated as rescEU capacities until the end of the date referred to therein.

3. By way of derogation from Article 21, the decision on the deployment of the capacities referred to in the paragraph 1 shall be taken by the Member State that made them available as rescEU capacities. In case of domestic emergencies, force majeure or, in exceptional cases, serious reasons prevent a Member State from making those capacities available for a specific disaster, that Member State shall inform the Commission as soon as possible by referring to this Article.

Article 23 - Anticipation and early warning

1. The Commission, in cooperation with Member States, shall undertake the following actions to enhance anticipation and early warning capabilities, building on the Union space capabilities provided by Copernicus, Galileo and where necessary, other space services:

(a)Further improve cross-border detection and early warning systems of Union interest to mitigate the immediate effects of disasters;

(b)integrate and enhance existing cross-border detection and early warning systems using a multi-hazard approach, with the objective of minimising lead time in response;

(c)maintain and further develop capabilities for situational awareness and analysis;

(d)monitor disasters and, where relevant, assess climate change impacts, providing advice grounded in scientific knowledge;

(e)translate scientific data into actionable operational information;

(f)create, maintain, and advance European scientific partnerships addressing all hazards, thereby promoting the interconnection between national early warning and alert systems, and potentially linking such systems with the ERCC and relevant IT systems;

(g)support the efforts of Member States and mandated international organisations by providing scientific knowledge, innovative technologies, and expertise for the development of their early warning systems, including through the Knowledge Network.

2. A scientific and technical facility shall pool together existing initiatives, programmes, tools, and services, such as Copernicus Services, to contribute with scientific and technical expertise to operational preparedness, analysis and situational awareness of the Hub, the ERCC and the Member States in order to anticipate, prepare for and respond to disasters and crises following a service-oriented, all-hazards and cross-sectorial approaches.

3. Where emergency services are provided by Galileo and EGNOS, Copernicus, IRIS2 and GOVSATCOM or Space Situational Awareness, each Member State may decide to use them.

Article 24 - Public warning systems

1. The Commission shall cooperate with Member States to support the integration of the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service into national public warning systems.

2. The Commission shall support Member States in enhancing population preparedness and awareness about ongoing alerts across the Union.

3. In the event of a transboundary disaster, the Hub and the ERCC may facilitate information sharing among concerned countries regarding the use of Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service. Based on a request by a Member State, the Hub and the ERCC may disseminate on behalf of that Member State, public warning messages via Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service within that Member State.

4. The Commission shall establish procedures for utilising the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service to assist third countries that request such service.

5. The public warning messages referred to in paragraph 3 may take into account Unions’ Space Situational Awareness services, in particular space surveillance and tracking services.

Article 25 - Emergency Response Coordination Centre

1. The ERCC shall enhance common situational awareness of risks falling under the scope of this Regulation, as well as 24/7 operational capacity, and serve the Member States and the Commission in pursuit of the objectives of this Regulation.

2. The ERCC shall work in close cooperation with national civil protection authorities and the relevant Union institutions and bodies.

3. The ERCC shall in particular coordinate, monitor and support in real-time the response at Union level.

4. The ERCC shall have access to operational, analytical, monitoring, information management and communication capabilities, and shall be equipped to receive and process EU classified information, to address a broad range of disasters within and outside the Union.

5. Member States shall designate contact points for the functioning of the ERCC and inform the Commission accordingly. The interaction of the ERCC with Member State’s contact points shall be defined by means of an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

Article 26 - Crisis Coordination Hub

1. Without prejudice to Article 25, a Crisis Coordination Hub (the Hub) is hereby established. The Hub shall build upon the structure and the capabilities of the ERCC, including its analytical and scientific capabilities, situational awareness, and 24/7 operational capacity for cross-sectoral crises.

2. The Hub shall closely cooperate with the EEAS Crisis Response Centre in the external dimension of cross-sectoral crises, with respect to its roles and competences.

3. The Hub shall anticipate and monitor risks connected to cross-sectoral crises, including producing regular operational-outlook briefings on cross-sectoral and all-hazard risks.

4. The Hub shall ensure coordination with relevant national authorities, as designated in accordance with paragraph 5, Commission services, Union institutions and bodies, and provide support in situations referred to in Article 29(1).

5. Member States shall designate contact points for the functioning of the Hub and inform the Commission accordingly.

Chapter 3
Response

Article 27 - Notifications of disasters

1. In the event of a disaster within the Union, or of an imminent disaster, which causes or is capable of causing transboundary effects, the Member State in which the disaster occurs or is likely to occur shall, without delay, notify the potentially affected Member States and the Commission. The notification to the Commission shall not be required where the obligation of notification has already been addressed under other Union legislation, under the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community or under existing international agreements.

2. In the event of a disaster within the Union, or of an imminent disaster, which is likely to result in a request for assistance from one or more Member States, the Member State in which the disaster occurs or is likely to occur shall, without delay, notify the Commission that a possible request for assistance through the ERCC can be expected, in order to enable the Commission, as appropriate, to inform the other Member States and to activate its competent services.

3. The notifications referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall, as appropriate, be made through CECIS. The Commission shall define the components of CECIS as well as the organisation of information sharing through CECIS by means of an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

4. The Hub shall ensure an appropriate framework for receiving the notifications about crises, received by the Commission through other Union instruments.

Article 28 - Request for assistance

1. When a disaster occurs or is imminent, the affected Member State or third country may request assistance through the ERCC. The request shall be as specific as possible. It may include in particular a request for modules, intervention teams, disaster relief items and equipment, logistical resources, transport resources, and any other resources. The Commission shall lay down the operational procedures for response to disasters by means of an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

2. In exceptional circumstances, and in the absence of a request for assistance by a third country affected by a disaster, a Member State may, on humanitarian grounds, request the activation of the Union Mechanism. Implementation of Union Mechanism shall be in accordance with the applicable rules of international law (including consent (explicit or implicit) of the affected country). The overall response shall be in coordination with the United Nations and its agencies, and have in place an effective acceptance of offers and delivery of assistance.

3. When the affected country is a third country, assistance may also be requested by the United Nations and its agencies, or a relevant international organisation, on behalf and with agreement of the affected country. The Commission shall identify relevant international organisations by means of an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2). 

4. A request for assistance shall lapse after a maximum period of 90 days, unless new elements justifying the need for continued or additional assistance are provided to the ERCC

5. Scientific and technical advisory facility (STAF) shall combine the existing analytical and scientific capabilities, including those offered by the ERCC, necessary for response. An affected country may ask the ERCC to activate STAF, including the services provided by the EU Space capabilities and get access to space derived data.

6. Upon receiving a request for assistance, the Commission shall, through the ERCC, as appropriate and without delay:

(a)forward the request to the contact points of Member States;

(b)collect and analyse information on the situation, with the goal of generating common awareness of the situation and the response to the situation, and disseminate that information directly to the Member States;

(c)facilitate the coordination and delivery of assistance, if necessary, through the presence on site of an expert or EUCP Team, and additional necessary supporting and complementary action;

(d)advise on the type of assistance necessary to mitigate the consequences of a disaster;

(e)make recommendations in consultation with the affected Member State or third country, for the provision of assistance through the Union Mechanism, and invite Member States to deploy capacities and facilitate the coordination of the required assistance. Where the requesting country is a Member State, it shall take the appropriate actions to facilitate host nation support for the incoming assistance in line with the recommendation on Host Nation Support.

7. Where the affected country is a third country, the Commission shall:

(a)liaise with the affected country on technical details, such as the precise needs for assistance, the acceptance of offers and the practical arrangements for the local reception and distribution of assistance;

(b)liaise with or support the United Nations and its agencies, and cooperate with other relevant actors that contribute to the overall relief effort, to maximise synergies, seek complementarities and avoid duplication and gaps;

(c)liaise with all relevant actors, in particular in the closing phase of the assistance, to facilitate a smooth handover.

8. Any Member State to which a request for assistance is addressed through the Union Mechanism shall promptly determine whether it is able to render the assistance required and inform the ERCC of its decision to offer assistance through CECIS, indicating its scope and terms. The ERCC shall keep Member States informed.

9. Interventions outside of the Union under this Article may be conducted either as an autonomous assistance intervention or as a contribution to an intervention led by an international organisation. The Union coordination shall be fully integrated with the overall coordination provided by United Nations and its agencies and shall respect their leading role. In the case of human-induced disasters or complex emergencies, the Commission shall ensure consistency with the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, and respect for humanitarian principles.

10. The Commission and the Member States shall identify and promote synergies between civil protection assistance and humanitarian aid funding provided by the Union and Member States in the planning of response operations for humanitarian crises outside the Union.

11. Coordination of assistance to third countries made through the Union Mechanism shall affect neither bilateral contacts and assistance between Member States and the affected country, nor cooperation between Member States and the United Nations and other relevant international organisations. Such bilateral contacts and assistance may also be used to contribute to the coordination through the Union Mechanism and transmission to the ERCC of information about any bilateral contacts and assistance delivered to the affected country.

12. Assistance may be offered by other Union institutions, agencies, and bodies and coordinated as part of response under this Article.

Article 29 - Support to cross-sectoral crises

1. The Hub may be used to provide support to cross-sectoral crises where:

(a) response is initiated under other Union risk management instruments;

(b)in cases referred to in Article 2 (1), point (b) of Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1993 31 ;

(c)in cases referred to in Article 4 of Council Decision 2014/415/EU 32 ;

(d)support is requested by the Council;

(e)in cases of public health emergency at Union level in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2371 or WHO declaration of health emergencies of international concern.

2. In the cases referred to in paragraph 1, the Union support to response may cover up to 100% of the costs to reflect the scale and the impact of the crisis.

3. In the cases referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission may procure or award grants to Member States for the procurement of material means and any necessary enabling service needed to complement assistance under the Union Mechanism.

4. When the Union Mechanism provides support to response or the Hub facilitates the response initiated under other Union risk management instruments, the scope of application of those instruments shall be considered for determining the inclusion of associated countries in relation to the actions under this Chapter.

Article 30 - Consular assistance

1. In exceptional circumstances, the Union Mechanism may be used to provide civil protection support to consular assistance to Union citizens in disasters in third countries if requested by the Member State concerned.

2. The civil protection support to consular assistance shall reflect solidarity among Member States and include in particular repatriation, evacuation, and assisted departures, as well as other relief actions.

3. Union support may be scaled taking into account the plurality of nationalities of Union citizens covered by the action in question.

4. The Member State carrying out the consular assistance action may request that either passengers or Member States whose citizens are covered by the action in question, contribute to the costs related to the action. Where assistance is provided to Union citizen holding the nationality of a Member State which is not represented in a third country as set out in Article 6 of Directive (EU) 2015/637, Articles 14 and 15 of that Directive shall apply.

Chapter 4
Union support to response

Article 31 - Union support to response

1. The Commission shall support response referred to in Article 32 by:

(a)providing and sharing information on equipment and on transport and logistical resources that Member States decide to make available, with a view to facilitating the pooling of such equipment or transport and logistical resources;

(b)assisting Member States to identify transport, logistical resources and equipment that may be available from other sources, including the commercial market, and facilitating their access to such resources;

(c)financing transport and logistical resources, including military resources, as well as operational cost necessary for ensuring a rapid response, including where transport and logistical resources are requested by the affected country.

2. Actions referred to in Article 32 shall be eligible for Union support to response only if the following criteria are met:

(a)a request for assistance has been made in accordance with Article 28;

(b)the additional transport and logistical resources are necessary for ensuring the effectiveness of response;

(c)the assistance corresponds to the needs identified by the ERCC and is delivered in accordance with the recommendations given by the ERCC on the technical specifications, quality, timing and modalities for delivery;

(d)the assistance has been accepted by a requesting country, directly or through the United Nations or its agencies, or a relevant international organisation, under the Union Mechanism; and

(e)the assistance complements, for disasters in third countries, any overall Union humanitarian response.

3. When a Member State requests the Commission to contract transport services, the Commission shall request partial reimbursement of the costs according to the funding rates set out in Annex I.

Article 32 - Response

1. In order to promote an effective response, the Commission shall assist the Member States offering assistance by:

(a)identifying and accessing equipment, transport and logistical resources and services in the form of access to the commercial market or other sources through the Commission, such as transport services procured from private or other entities, and facilitating their access to such resources;

(b)providing and sharing information on equipment, transport and logistical resources and services in the form of pooling with other Member States, and facilitating the establishment and maintenance of logistical hubs facilitating pooling;

(c)supporting the transport of spontaneously offered assistance not pre-committed to the ECPP;

(d)facilitating the actions allowing for medical evacuation hubs and the conducting of medical evacuation;

(e)preparation for the mobilisation and deployment of experts and EUCP Teams;

(f)preparation for the mobilisation and deployment of intervention teams;

(g)developing and maintaining a surge capacity through a network of trained experts of Member States;

(h)temporary pre-positioning and coordination of response capacities in situations of increased risk, and following the request of a Member State or a third country, and taking into account the assessment of the Commission;

(i)stand-by allocation of response capacities during periods and in areas experiencing increased or recurring seasonal risks, and following the request of a Member State;

(j)transport of assistance needed in environmental disasters in which the ‘polluter pays principle’ applies, to which the following conditions shall apply:

(i)the Union financial support for the transport of assistance is requested by the affected or assisting Member State based on a duly justified needs assessment;

(ii)the affected or assisting Member State, as appropriate, takes all necessary steps to request and obtain compensation from the polluter, in accordance with all applicable international, Union or national legal provisions;

(iii)upon receiving compensation from the polluter, the affected or assisting Member State, as appropriate, shall immediately reimburse the Union.

(k)undertaking additional necessary supporting and complementary action in order to facilitate the coordination of response in the most effective way.

2. In the case of transport operations of Member States from the pooling point to the final destination, a Member State shall take the lead in requesting Union support in the form of grant or facilitation of access to resources and services needed, for the entire operation.

3. Costs relating to paragraph 1, points (h) and (i), shall not be eligible when covered by Host Nation Support.

4. In the event of an environmental disaster as referred to in paragraph 1, point (j), which does not affect a Member State, the actions referred to in points (j) shall be carried out by the assisting Member State.

5. The Commission may complement the transport and logistical resources provided by Member States by providing additional resources necessary for ensuring a rapid response.

6. The Commission may facilitate response by developing cartographical material for the swift deployment and mobilisation of resources, bearing in mind especially the particularities of cross-border regions for multi-country transboundary risks.

7. The Commission shall lay down rules on the deployment of experts and EUCP Teams in an implementing act adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 35(2).

8. When a Member State requests the Commission to contract transport services, the Commission shall request partial reimbursement of the costs according to the funding rates set out in Annex I.

Article 33 - Deployment of experts and EUCP Team

1. At the request of a Member State, a third country, the United Nations or its agencies or a relevant international organisation identified in accordance with Article 28(3), the Commission may select, appoint and provide support in the deployment of individual expert or EUCP Teams composed of experts nominated by Member States to provide advice on prevention or preparedness measures, or to support a common assessment of the situation and needs, facilitate coordination of assistance or provide technical advice.

2. The Union Mechanism and the capabilities of the Hub may be used to provide support to the deployment of experts or EUCP Teams in cases where the Union Mechanism is providing support in cases referred to in Article 29. Experts from the Commission and from other Union institutions, agencies, including the EU Health Task Force established in accordance with point (a) of Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 851/2004 33 , and bodies of the Union may be integrated in the team in order to support the EUCP Team and facilitate liaison with the Hub. Experts dispatched by UN agencies or other international organisations may be integrated in the team in order to strengthen cooperation and facilitate joint assessments.

3. Where operational effectiveness so requires, the Commission, in close cooperation with Member States, may facilitate the involvement of additional experts, through their deployment, and technical and scientific support, and reach back to specialist scientific, emergency medical and sectoral expertise.

4. The procedure for the selection and appointment of experts shall be the following:

(a)Member States shall nominate experts, under their responsibility, who can be deployed as members of EUCP Teams;

(b)the Commission shall select the experts and the leader for those teams on the basis of their qualifications and experience, including the level of the Union Mechanism training undertaken, previous experience of missions under the Union Mechanism and other international relief work; the selection shall also be based on other criteria, including language skills, to ensure that the team as a whole has the skills needed in the specific situation;

(c)the Commission shall select experts and team leaders for the mission in agreement with their nominating Member State;

(d)the Commission shall notify Member States of additional expert support provided in accordance with paragraph 3.

5. Where experts or EUCP Teams are dispatched, they shall facilitate coordination between Member States' response capacities and liaise with the competent authorities of the requesting country. The ERCC shall maintain close contact with the expert teams and provide them with guidance and logistical support.

6. The Commission shall, through the ERCC, support experts and EUCP Teams that have been selected, appointed or deployed under this Article in the preparation of a security and safety plan, by sharing its own security assessment and by providing a security briefing as part of the mission briefing. The Commission shall support the experts and EUCP Teams in the preparation of additional mitigation measures and other necessary measures before or during deployment.

TITLE II - I

HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

Article 34 - Health emergency preparedness and response

The Commission shall support Member States in strengthening capabilities for the prevention of, preparedness for, and response to serious-cross border threats to health, in particular through: 

(a)supporting data collection, information exchange, early warning and surveillance systems;

(b)enhancing the availability and accessibility of medical countermeasures, including through procurement, capacity reservations as well as their stockpiling and deployment;

(c)capacity building;

(d)support actions for the development, implementation and monitoring, including through cooperation between national authorities and with stakeholders, and the development and deployment of the necessary tools and infrastructures, including IT infrastructures.

TITLE I - V

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 35 - Committee procedure

1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. 

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

3. Where the opinion of the committee is to be obtained by written procedure, that procedure shall be terminated without result when, within the time-limit for delivery of the opinion, the chair of the committee so decides or a simple majority of committee members so request.

4. In accordance with international agreements concluded by the Union, representatives of third countries and international organisations may be invited as observers in the meetings of the committee under the requirements laid down in its rules of procedure and taking into account security and public order of the Union or its Member States. Representatives of third countries or international organisations shall not participate in deliberations on matters related to the eligibility of third country entities or international organisations.

Article 36 - Repeal

Decision No 1313/2013/EU is repealed with effect from 1 January 2028.

Article 37 - Transitional provisions

1. This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification of the actions concerned, until their closure, under Decision No 1313/2013/EU or under Regulation (EU) 2021/522, which shall continue to apply to the actions concerned until their closure.

2. The financial envelope under this Regulation may also cover technical and administrative assistance expenses necessary to ensure the transition between the Union Mechanism and the measures adopted under Decision No 1313/2013/EU or Regulation (EU) 2021/522.

Article 38 - Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2028.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.