COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2010-10-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: aid to disaster victims, civil defence, emergency aid, humanitarian aid, man-made disaster, natural disaster, the EU's international role

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 26.10.2010 
COM(2010) 600 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and 
humanitarian assistance 
(Text with EEA relevance) 

SEC(2010) 1243 
 SEC(2010) 1242 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and 
humanitarian assistance 
(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

Introduction 

EU Member States and EU institutions have responded well to the many disasters that have 
struck  this  year,  both  in  the  EU  and  further  afield.  The  Haiti  earthquake  and  the  floods  in 
Pakistan  in  particular  stand  out.  The  EU’s  response  has  been  swift,  efficient  and  generous. 
The  quality  of  this  response  helped  demonstrating  to  EU  citizens  and  Member  States  the 
added value brought by EU actions in the field of crisis response. 

At the same time, demands on the EU’s disaster response capacity are likely to increase, as 
disasters continue to grow both in size and frequency. Current budgetary pressures also call 
for further efforts to promote an efficient use of scarce resources. 

Against  this  background,  the  Lisbon  Treaty  offers  an  opportunity  to  build  a  stronger,  more 
comprehensive,  better  coordinated  and  more  efficient  disaster  response  capacity  in  the 
European  Union.  The  changes  introduced  by  the  Lisbon  Treaty  concern  both  individual 
instruments  of  disaster  response  and  the  means  to  ensure  a  consistent  EU  response  while 
ensuring coordination with the United Nations.  

The  work  of  building  a  stronger,  more  coherent  and  better  integrated  European  disaster 
response capacity is two-fold: 

–  to strengthen individual EU response instruments; and 

–  to  ensure  consistency  and  synergies  between  these  different  instruments,  to  the 

benefit of the coherence of the international response.  

Building  on  the  European  Consensus  on  Humanitarian  Aid,1  the  Communication  on 
Reinforcing  the  Union's  Disaster  Response  Capacity,2  and  drawing  inspiration  from  the 
Barnier  report  and  the  debate  it  generated3  the  present  Communication  focuses  on  civil 
protection  and  humanitarian  assistance,  the  two  main  instruments  at  the  EU’s  disposal  to 
ensure rapid and effective delivery of EU relief assistance to people faced with the immediate 
consequences  of  disasters.  The  Lisbon  Treaty  introduces  new  legal  bases  for  both.  In  this 
Communication,  the  Commission  sets  out  its  proposals  for  the  implementation  of  this  new 
legal framework and for how the two can be combined in a more effective way.  

1 
2 

3 

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European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, December 2007. 
Commission Communication of 5 March 2008 on Reinforcing the Union’s Disaster Response Capacity: 
COM (2008) 130 final. 
Report 
http://ec.europa.eu/archives/commission_2004-2009/president/pdf/rapport_barnier_en.pdf.  

by  Michel  Barnier 

a  European 

protection 

europe 

force: 

civil 

aid'. 

'For 

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This  Communication  should  be  seen  as  the  first  building  block  of  a  broader  and  more 
coherent effort towards a strengthened EU disaster response. Work is underway on additional 
building  blocks  covering  different  aspects  of  the  EU’s  response  to  crises  both  inside  and 
outside the EU.  

In this regard, for disasters outside the European Union, the creation of the European External 
Action Service (EEAS) offers opportunities to improve consistency between disaster response 
and possible political and security related elements of the EU’s overall crisis response. This 
will include political and diplomatic efforts in Brussels and in the field, notably through EU 
Delegations, including possible consular support if requested. The EEAS will be responsible 
for crisis response actions under the Instrument for Stability (IfS), as well as for civilian and 
military crisis management means, whose tasks can include humanitarian and rescue support. 
Finally, it will include the EU’s role as a significant development aid donor to many disaster 
stricken areas of the world, where the links between relief, rehabilitation and development can 
and should be reinforced.  

The  High  Representative  for  Foreign  Affairs  and  Security  Policy  and  the  European 
Commission  will  soon  come  forward  with  a  paper  in  this  regard,  notably  building  on  the 
follow-up to the Haiti earthquake earlier this year. This paper will also make further proposals 
as  regards  the  coordination  in  the  context  of  crisis  response  between  the  EEAS  and  civil 
protection and humanitarian assistance structures.  

As  regards  disasters  inside  the  European  Union,  the  proposals  for  improving  response 
capacity  would  constitute  a  major  contribution  to  the  EU’s  Internal  Security  Strategy  in 
Action,  for  which  increasing  Europe's  resilience  towards  disasters  is  one  of  the  strategic 
objectives.  Consular  protection  will  be  addressed  in  the  Commission  Communication  on 
consular protection. 

The  Lisbon  Treaty  also  introduced  a  Solidarity  Clause,  which  established  the  obligation  for 
Member  States  to  assist  each  other  in  the  event  of  a  natural  or  man  made  disaster  on  EU 
territory.4 In 2011 the European Commission and the High Representative will bring forward 
a proposal for the implementation arrangements of the Solidarity Clause.  

2. 

Adapting existing means to a changing world 

Europe  and  its  immediate  neighbours  have  experienced  a  series  of  particularly  severe 
disasters in 2010, ranging from flash floods and severe storms in Western Europe, large-scale 
floods  in  Central  Europe,  the  volcanic  ash  cloud  after  the  Eyjafjallajökull  eruption  to 
unprecedented forest fires in Russia.  

This year the world has also witnessed two of the worst natural disasters in recent years: the 
Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods, both of which resulted in massive loss of life and 
widespread  destruction.  Other  disasters  included  the  explosion  of  the  Deepwater  Horizon 
drilling well in the Gulf of Mexico (which resulted in the most damaging oil spill on record) 
and severe droughts in the Sahel.  

The year 2010 is not just a statistical blip. Worldwide the recorded annual number of disasters 
has  increased  fivefold  from  78  in  1975  to  nearly  400  today.  Average  annual  losses  are 

4 

Article 222 TFEU. 

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approximately  one  quarter  of  a  percent  of  global  GDP.  Over  the  past  20  years,  recorded 
disasters  in  Europe5  alone  have  killed  almost  90,000  people,  affected  more  than  29  million 
and caused €211 billion in economic losses.  

This  trend  is  largely  due  to  climate  change,  population  growth  combined  with  increasing 
urbanisation as well as other factors including increased industrial activity and environmental 
degradation. Moreover, terrorism remains a significant security threat for European citizens. 
Because  of  these  factors,  the  frequency  and  intensity  of  disasters  is  likely  to  continue 
increasing. Faced with this changing reality there is a strong case for the EU to strengthen its 
disaster response capacity. 

Effective  implementation  of  sensible  disaster  management  policies  means  fewer  deaths  and 
less damage. As the risks we face increase and become ever more apparent it is essential that 
local,  national  and  European  policies  are  reinforced  to  deal  with  these  threats.  Ways  of 
improving  the  existing  system  need  to  be  indentified  and  implemented  in  order  to  better 
respond to future major disasters.  

Protecting  the  safety  and  security  of  its  citizens  is  the  first  duty  of  every  state  and  the 
responsibility for disaster prevention, preparedness and response lies primarily with national 
governments. But when a major disaster occurs, and national capacities are overwhelmed, a 
common  European  response  is  more  effective  than  Member  States  acting  alone.  Additional 
assets  can  be  mobilised.  Joint  efforts  can  promote  cost-effectiveness  by  maximising  the 
complementarities  in  national  response  capacities.  EU  cooperation  provides  a  visible 
demonstration  of  solidarity  between  Member  States  and  with  third  countries.  Closer  co-
operation at EU level can also strengthen the overall response and coordination efforts led by 
the United Nations (UN). 

importance  of  working 

is  clearly  understood  by  European  citizens. 
The 
Approximately  90%  expect  the  EU  to  do  more  to  help  their  country  when  faced  with 
disasters.6 A similar percentage supports EU humanitarian action outside the EU.7  

together 

The EU has a range of instruments for the response to disasters at its disposal. For disasters 
inside the EU, the Civil Protection Mechanism facilitates and coordinates Member States’ in-
kind  assistance8.  The  Mechanism  also  coordinates  the  delivery  of  in-kind  assistance  for 
disasters outside the EU9.  

In  developing  countries,  the  EU  (Commission  and  Member  States  combined)  is  the  world's 
largest  humanitarian  donor.  Funding  is  provided  to  partner  organisations  (mainly  UN 

5 

6 
7 
8 

9 

The  Centre  for  Research  on  the  Epidemiology  of  Disasters  (CRED).  CRED  defines  disasters  as:  'A 
situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to a national or international 
level  for  external  assistance'  www.cred.be.  This  Communication  deals  primarily  with  disasters, 
necessitating a request for international assistance. 
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_328_en.pdf. 
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_343_en.pdf. 
In 2002, its first year of operation, the Mechanism was mobilized three times. In 2009, it was mobilized 
27 times. Approximately half of deployments are to respond to disasters within the EU. 
In all cases, a request from the country or countries affected by a disaster must be received before the 
Mechanism is deployed. In the case of third countries, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs is 
immediately consulted in the spirit of the Joint Declaration between the Council and the Commission on 
the use of the Community Civil protection mechanism in crisis management (doc. 10639/03) to clarify 
whether the activation of the mechanism would fall within CSDP crisis management.  

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agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent movement and humanitarian NGOs) which deliver the bulk 
of emergency assistance, on the ground, to those in need.  

Arrangements  have  also  been  developed  to  facilitate  the  deployment  of  Member  States’ 
military assets when these are required as part of the overall EU disaster response.10  

In  the  case  of  the  Haiti  earthquake,  the  EU's  response  was  effective  and  swift.  However, 
initial  lessons  from  this  and  other  recent  disasters  suggest  that  there  is  room  for  further 
improvement  in  terms  of  the  effectiveness  and  efficiency  (rapidity  of  deployment  and 
appropriateness  of  action),  the  coherence  (operational  and  political  coordination)  and  the 
visibility of the EU's response to disasters. Any improved EU response towards emergencies 
outside  the  EU  however  relies  for  the  civil  protection  response  part  on  strong  and  efficient 
capacities of Member States. The starting point for a reinforced EU disaster response capacity 
must therefore be to ensure a better response capacity inside the EU.  

This Communication therefore sets out a strategy with the objective of bringing the wealth of 
expertise  and  resources  -  available  at  local,  national  and  the  EU  levels  -  together  into  a 
strengthened  EU disaster response  system. It focuses on the delivery of relief  assistance in 
the  first  emergency  phase.  Political  and  security  elements  of  disaster  response,  as  well  as 
crisis  response  under  the  IfS  and  medium  and  longer  term  assistance,  and  how  they  can  be 
better coordinated with emergency relief efforts will be the subject of separate proposals.  

The creation of a European Emergency Response Capacity, based on Member States' assets, 
and  the  development  of  a  European  Emergency  Response  Centre,  are  proposed  as  the 
cornerstones of such a strategy. Proposals are also made in the areas of civil protection and 
humanitarian aid.  

3. 

Guiding Principles 

The following principles should guide work on the EU disaster response capacity: 

–  The EU should be able to respond effectively and in a spirit of solidarity to disasters both 

inside and outside the EU.  

–  The EU disaster  response  capacity  should address all types of disasters (i.e. natural  and 
man-made,  other  than  armed  conflicts)  that  overwhelm  national  response  capacities  and 
result in a need for EU assistance.  

–  A  fully  coherent  approach  for  disasters  outside  the  EU  will  need  to  bring  together  the 
different constituencies that could possibly be deployed (depending on the nature of the 
crisis):  civil  protection,  humanitarian,  crisis  response  under  the  IfS,  mainstream 
geographical instruments for external assistance (using flexible procedures in situations of 
crises  and  emergencies),  Common  Security  and  Defence  Policy  (CSDP)  civilian  and 
military  crisis  management.  The  objective  should  be  to  identify  and  deploy  the  most 
appropriate resources to respond to any given disaster. It should build on the existing roles 
and mandates and capacities and ensure that critical "gaps" and bottlenecks are addressed. 

10 

The documents developed under the Council in 2003-2006 include the General Framework for the use 
of Member States military and military chartered transportation assets and ESDP coordination tools in 
support  of  EU  disaster  response  and  Military  support  to  EU  disaster  response  –  identification  and 
coordination of available assets and capabilities (see documents 10639/03, 6644/4/04, 8976/06, 9462/3 
REV3 and 14540/06 + COR1). 

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–  When  responding  specifically  to  humanitarian  needs  caused  by  disasters  outside  the  EU, 
EU assistance is bound to act in accordance with internationally agreed humanitarian 
principles  (humanity,  neutrality,  impartiality  and  independence)11  and  guidelines. 
Improved EU coordination will help strengthening the central coordinating role of the UN 
for emergencies in third countries. 

–  An approach that balances response with disaster prevention and preparedness is the 
best way to respond to the increasing threats posed by disasters. While this Communication 
focuses on response, disaster prevention and preparedness are the cornerstones of the EU's 
strategy  on  disaster  management.12  Actions  to  strengthen  disaster  response  will  be 
complemented by strong prevention and preparedness measures. This includes maximising 
the synergies between Disaster Risk Reduction and adaptation to climate change, so that, 
for  example,  financial  support  for  prevention,  recovery  and  reconstruction  activities 
increase resilience to future crises. 

–  Improved  cost  effectiveness  means  looking  for  more  efficient  ways  of  delivering 
assistance. This can be achieved through a better pooling of assets in order to reduce costs 
and avoid a duplication of efforts. Where appropriate, Member States should look to make 
use  of  common  assets.  New  initiatives  (for  example  the  common  provision  of  transport) 
should  look  to  ensure  that  the  overall  benefits  in  terms  of  efficiency  gains  outweigh  any 
eventual  costs  and  should  not  undermine  national  responsibilities  for  disaster  prevention, 
preparedness  and  response.  The  EU  should  also  avoid  creating  new  structures  and 
additional levels of bureaucracy.  

4. 

4.1. 

A More Effective and Efficient European Disaster Response  

The  creation  of  a  European  Emergency  Response  Capacity  based  on  pre-
committed Member States' assets and pre-agreed contingency plans 

The  EU  civil  protection  response  is  currently  based  on  ad  hoc  offers  of  assistance  from 
Member  States. Such a  system makes prior  planning of emergency operations very difficult 
and cannot ensure the availability of appropriate and sufficient assistance in all cases. The EU 
needs  to  shift  from  ad  hoc  coordination  to  a  system  where  advance  planning  allows  core 
assets to be available for immediate deployment.  

In order to improve planning of EU civil protection operations, the Commission proposes to: 

11 
12 

European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/policies/consensus/consensus_en.pdf. 
In 2009, the Commission adopted a Communication on 'A Community approach on the prevention of 
natural  and  man-made  disasters'  (COM(2009)  82  final)  and  EU  Strategy  on  supporting  disaster  risk 
reduction  in  developing  countries  (COM(2009)  84  final).  The  Implementation  Plan  of  the  EU  DRR 
Strategy is also about to be adopted. Work is on-going to develop an EU-wide overview of risks and the 
Commission  is  exploring  mechanisms  for  regular  reviews  of  Member  States'  prevention  and 
preparedness policies. Significant EU funding is available for disaster prevention although the uptake of 
these funds remains limited. Funding is also available under Space and Security Themes of the 7th R&D 
Framework  Programme. Efforts  are  ongoing  to  extend  EU  support  to  disaster  prevention  projects  in 
third  countries,  to  identify  and  exchange  best  practices,  to  investigate  opportunities  for  innovative 
financing  arrangements.  This  work  should  be  linked  with  the  EU  efforts  related  to  the  adaptation  to 
climate  change.  The  implementation  and  further  development  of  the  EU  Solidarity  Fund could  also 
provide opportunities to reinforce the EU's disaster management. 

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– 

– 

– 

– 

Develop  reference  scenarios  for  the  main  types  of  disasters13  inside  and 
outside the EU. 

Identify  and  map  key  existing  assets  that  could  be  made  available  by 
Member States for the EU emergency response to these scenarios. 

Develop  contingency  plans  for  the  deployment  of  these  assets,  including 
transport,  and  review  them  on  the  basis  of  lessons  learned  from  new 
emergencies and exercises. 

Identify  and  ensure  synergies  between  in-kind  assistance  and  the 
assistance provided from the EU's humanitarian funding. 

A  mapping  of  capacities  available  for  EU  civil  protection  operations  on  the  basis  of  pre-
defined  disaster  scenarios  would  significantly  enhance  the  EU’s  response  capacity.  It  will 
allow 
take  maximum  advantage  of 
complementarities and pooling arrangements. This will result in enhanced cost-effectiveness. 

the  Commission  and 

the  Member  States 

to 

To enhance the availability of key assets, various arrangements have been tested through the 
Preparatory  Action  on  an  EU  Rapid  Response  Capability.  This  included  standby 
arrangements for field hospitals, emergency shelter, high capacity pumping, water purification 
and other assets based in the majority of Member States. Based on this initial experience, the 
Commission proposes to: 

– 

Establish a European Emergency Response Capacity in the form of a pool 
of pre-identified civil protection assets from the states participating in the 
Civil  Protection  Mechanism  that  are  voluntarily  made  available  for  EU 
disaster relief operations both inside and outside the Union.  

Member States that have agreed to provide assets to the pool should make them available for 
EU operations when called for except when these assets are needed for domestic emergencies. 
These  assets  would  remain  under  national  command  and  control.  The  pool  should  be  large 
enough to ensure availability of critical response capacities at all times. Registration of assets 
in the pool will remain voluntary and assets will remain at full disposal for national purposes 
when  not  used  for  EU  operations.  Member  States  can  also  join  forces  and  provide 
multinational modules for inclusion in the pool.14 These arrangements should be open to the 
participation  of  third  countries,  notably  from  the  European  Economic  Area  and  the  EU 
candidate countries.  

In the event of a major disaster, and in response to a request for assistance, the Commission 
will immediately propose an emergency response plan based on the needs on the ground and 
on the pre-developed scenarios. It will call for the deployment of relevant modules.  

Deployed assets will be managed on site by the respective Member States. The coordination 
between the different EU modules on the ground, and where relevant their integration into the 
UN  cluster  system,  will  be  ensured  by  the  EU  experts  (Commission  and  Member  States) 
deployed by the Emergency Response Centre. 

13 
14 

Including CBRN and cross-border terrorist attacks. 
With the support of the Commission, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania developed a common high capacity pumping 
module  (called  'Balt  Flood  Combat'),  which  has  been  used  successfully  during  the  floods  in  Poland  and  the 
Republic of Moldova. 

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Since most of the Member States' civil protection modules are already available for national 
purposes,  this  system  is  not  expected  to  generate  significant  extra  costs  related  to  their 
development and standby. On the contrary, developing a common emergency response can be 
expected  to  generate  efficiency  gains  and  improve  the  overall  cost-effectiveness  of  EU 
disaster response operations.  

Regular EU training and exercises should be organised to enhance the interoperability of these 
assets. Interoperability requirements will be further developed.  

The  deployment  of  these  on-call  assets  would  form  the  nucleus  of  any  EU  civil  protection 
operation.  They  would  be  complemented  by  additional  offers  from  the  Member  States 
provided in the same way that civil protection assistance is currently organised. In the case of 
disasters  outside  the  EU  these  on-call  assets  and  EU  humanitarian  assistance  would 
complement each other and, where appropriate be supported by recourse to EU civilian and 
military crisis management means under agreed frameworks.  

As a further step, the Commission proposes to: 

– 

Use the contingency planning exercise to determine whether there are gaps 
in the civil protection response capacities available in the Member States 
that could be filled by complementary EU-funded assets.  

Burden-sharing and common use of resources can result in significant efficiency gains. This is 
most  obviously  the  case  with  assets  required  for  horizontal  coordination,  assessment  and 
logistics (e.g. surveillance aircraft for assessment).  

It  can  also  be  the  case  for  certain  types  of  high-value  assets.  The  Commission  has  run, 
together with Member States, successful pilot projects looking at the possibility of EU support 
for  the  provision  of  different  types  of  emergency  response  equipment.  These  projects  have 
focused on aerial assets for forest fire-fighting and Technical Assistance and Support Teams 
(TAST), but the approach could be extended to other types of assets, such as marine search 
and rescue or specialised medical facilities.  

Working  arrangements  will  be  developed  between  the  European  Emergency  Response 
Capacity  and  the  EEAS,  with  the  aim  of  ensuring  complementarity  and  of  using  possible 
synergies  between  the  ways  in  which  disaster  relief  and  civilian  and  military  crisis 
management actions are managed.  

4.2. 

Prepositioning of relief assets 

Aid  effectiveness  means  that  relief-items  should  be  pre-positioned  as  close  to  the  disaster 
zone  as  possible,  drawing  on  local  and  regional  resources  whenever  possible.  This  is  why 
major  international  humanitarian  organizations  (e.g.  World  Food  Programme  and  the 
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) have been developing 
and expanding their pre-positioning capacities with substantive financial support from the EU. 
Inside  the  EU,  Member  States  also  group  national  relief  and  response  items  in  strategic 
locations.  Recent  experience  has  shown  that  this  approach  has  significantly  sped  up  the 
operational  response  to  disasters.  A  global  network  of  regional  depots/hubs  could  greatly 
facilitate the rapid mobilisation of assistance. 

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To  reinforce  the  rapid  availability  of  assets  for  humanitarian  actors  in  external  emergencies 
the Commission will:  

– 

– 

Review  experience  gained  from  EU  engagement  with  key  humanitarian 
partners  -  notably  WFP  and  IFRC  -  and  develop  options  to  develop  this 
approach further.  

Seek  to  use,  where  available,  Member  States'  existing  prepositioning 
systems in third countries. 

4.3. 

Improved needs assessments 

Timely  and  accurate  needs  assessments  are  essential  to  allow  informed  decisions  on  relief. 
For  emergencies  outside  the  EU,  ECHO  field  experts  and  EU  civil  protection  teams  play  a 
crucial role in providing information and advice for the EU's response. They also support the 
UN's  assessment  and  coordination  work.  Better  linkages  should  be  ensured  between 
humanitarian needs assessments in the early phases of disaster relief and subsequent recovery 
and development assessment approaches, such as Post-Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNA). 

The Commission will: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Support  UN-led  efforts  to  develop  joint,  cross-sectoral  and  comparable 
needs assessments.  

Deploy EU experts to serve as liaison officers with the UN system.  

Increase the capacity of EU assessment teams to cover a larger territorial 
scope and, where necessary, to plug gaps in UN capacity.  

Ensure adequate participation in the PDNA by EU experts involved in the 
relief-related  needs  assessments  and  the  implementation  of  humanitarian 
actions. 

4.4. 

Shared, more effective and more cost-effective logistics  

Various national and EU arrangements currently co-exist for logistic hubs in disaster zones in 
third countries. Different structures mean that each actor has to plan for and deploy their own 
on-site  support.  Sometimes  these  national  support  centres  do  not  effectively  communicate 
with each other. This is not operationally efficient, it is not cost effective and it reduces EU 
visibility.  

The performance of horizontal tasks, such as logistics, can be more efficiently provided at EU 
level.  The  Commission  working  with  Member  States  has  developed  specialist  units 
(Technical Assistance and Support Teams - TAST) which function as mobile logistic support 
hubs. The Commission proposes to: 

– 

– 

– 

Deploy the Technical Assistance and Support Teams more systematically, 
especially  in  situations  where  local  infrastructure  has  collapsed,  and 
develop contractual arrangements to ensure their guaranteed availability. 

Develop with the EEAS options on how these teams can better support EU 
Delegations,  consular  authorities  and  other  EU  and  international  actors 
during major emergencies outside the EU. 

Look to develop these arrangements into an EU field coordination centre 
that can plug into the UN system.  

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4.5. 

Coordinated and cost-effective transport 

The  EU  currently  has  the  possibility  to  co-finance  the  transport  of  in-kind  assistance.  This 
capacity  should  be  strengthened  to  ensure  that  transportation  bottlenecks  are  removed. 
Improvements  are  needed  in  delivery  of  assistance  to  affected  countries,  including  logistics 
and local delivery to where it is needed most. 

The Commission proposes to: 

– 

– 

Simplify  and  reinforce  existing  arrangements  for  the  pooling  and  co-
financing of transport assets.  

Engage  with  the  private  sector  to  prepare  options  on  the  commercial 
provision of transport and logistics in disaster situations. 

–  Make  full  use  of  the  agreed  framework  for  the  use  of  Member  States 
transportation  assets  and  CSDP 

military  or  military  chartered 
coordination tools in support of EU Disaster Response.  

– 

Continue its support for the development of appropriate airlift /transport 
capacities  (strategic  and  tactical)  by  humanitarian  organisations  and  the 
UN.  

4.6. 

Use  of  Member  States  military  assets  and  CSDP  support  to  EU  disaster 
response  

Civilian  and  military  capacities  developed  in  the  context  of  the  EU’s  common  security  and 
defence  policy  can  be  useful  in  supporting  civil  protection  and  humanitarian  assistance 
notably in large-scale natural disasters.  

The  use  of  military  assets  to  provide  assistance  in  third  countries  as  part  of  a  response  to 
natural disasters is governed by the so-called Oslo Guidelines.15
 These guidelines have been 
agreed at the UN level and endorsed by the EU in the European Consensus on Humanitarian 
Aid.16
 The Oslo guidelines stipulate that military assets should be used as a last resort, when 
there is not any other available civilian alternative to support urgent humanitarian needs in the 
time required.  

Some Member States have national systems in place to use military transport or other military 
assets  in  support  of  their  civil  protection  response  to  major  disasters  outside  the  EU.  Such 
military  assets,  channelled  through  the  civil  protection  authorities  of  Member  States  can 
contribute  to  the  overall  in-kind  assistance  that  the  EU  currently  channels  via  the  Civil 
Protection  Mechanism's  Monitoring  and  Information  Centre  (MIC).  As  proven  by  the 
response to the Earthquake and Tsunamis in the  Indian  Ocean  in  December  2004  and  more 
recently by the response to the 2010 Pakistan floods, military assets can fill in critical capacity 
gaps in areas such as transportation, logistics support, engineering, or medical support.. 

The  EU  has  developed  a  framework  for  military  support  to  EU  disaster  response,  which 
covers  the  use  of  Member  States'  military  or  military  chartered  transportation  assets  and 

15 

16 

Guidelines  on the  Use  of  Military  and  Civil  Defence  Assets  in  International  Disaster  Relief  —  ‘Oslo 
Guidelines’ (re-launched by UN OCHA in November 2006). 
See in particular para. 61. 

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European  Security  and  Defence  Policy  coordination  tools.17  Standard  operating  procedures 
have been developed and used to good effect in major emergencies such as the 2010 Pakistan 
response where the Commission facilitated (via the MIC) aid delivery flights offered through 
the EU Movement Planning Cell of the EU Military Staff. This came in addition to various 
civilian flights organised and co-funded in the framework of the Mechanism.  

Specific proposals for how to improve mechanisms for the use of civilian and military means 
under CSDP as part of the EU’s disaster response, notably how to improve consistency and 
synergies with EU humanitarian and civil protection operations will be presented separately 
by the High Representative and the European Commission. 

There is a need to develop:  

– 

The  European  Emergency  Response  Centre  as  the  Commission's 
operational emergency relief interface with the CSDP coordination tools in 
order  to  match  humanitarian  needs  on  the  ground  with  the  provision  of 
Member States crisis management assets.  

5. 

A More Coherent Response 

5.1. 

Developing an Emergency Response Centre 

Civil  protection  and  humanitarian  aid  are  the  main  operational  instruments  of  the  EU's 
immediate  response  to  disasters.  These  instruments  have  been  brought  together  into  one 
Directorate  General  (DG  ECHO)  in  the  Commission  which  makes  it  possible  to  establish  a 
strengthened  Emergency  Response  Centre  that  can  draw  on  information  and  expertise  from 
both  areas  and  effectively  link,  at  European  level,  the  civil  protection  and  the  humanitarian 
aid authorities in the Member States.  

The  ECHO  and  the  MIC  crisis  rooms  will  be  merged  into  a  genuine  response  centre, 
operational  on  a  24  hours  basis  and  responsible  for  the  coordination  of  the  EU's  civilian 
disaster response. This will require a qualitative shift from information sharing and reacting to 
emergencies  to  a  more  proactive  role  of  planning,  monitoring,  preparing,  operational 
coordination  and  logistical  support.  To  this  end  the  centre  will  develop  an  integrated 
monitoring capacity based inter alia on GMES services. The centre will ensure a continuous 
exchange of information with both the civil protection and humanitarian aid authorities on the 
needs  for  assistance  and  the  offers  made  by  EU  Member  States  and  other  actors.  This  will 
ensure that  Member States can make  informed decisions on funding and offering additional 
assistance.  The  centre  will  also  develop  reference  scenarios  for  the  main  types  of  disasters 
inside and outside the EU. 

For emergencies outside the EU, the Emergency Response Centre should be responsible for 
collecting information on all available European in-kind assistance and ensuring its coherence 
vis-à-vis the UN coordination system and the affected country. 

17 

For reference to the various documents see footnote 11 supra. 

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A consolidated Emergency Response Centre will also facilitate operational coordination with 
other EU actors.18 This would involve sharing information and analysis with the geographic 
departments  of  the  EEAS  (including  the  Situation  Centre  where  appropriate)  and  EU 
delegations. It would also concern co-operation with the EEAS crisis management structures 
when the use of EU civil and/or military assets is being considered as a part of the EU disaster 
response.  The  Centre  should  also  be  a  point  of  liaison  with  relevant  parts  of  the  EEAS, 
including  in  view  of  CFSP  or  ESDP  missions  deployed  in  third  countries.  The  Centre  will 
also be linked to the situation awareness arrangements being developed as part of the Internal 
Security Strategy and will thus contribute to increase Europe's resilience towards disasters.  

No new overarching structures are suggested. The development of specialized hubs/platforms 
will  be  coupled  with  working  arrangements  that  ensure  the  systematic  exchange  of 
information.  

The Commission will: 

–  Merge  the  Civil  Protection  and  the  DG  ECHO  crisis  rooms  to  create  a 
genuine  24/7  European  Emergency  Response  Centre,  which  will  work 
closely  with  other  relevant  services,  including  that  responsible  for  the 
Internal Security Strategy. 

– 

– 

Develop  the  Emergency  Response  Centre,  over  time,  into  a  platform 
providing support for other services dealing with major disasters.  

Set up working arrangements with the EEAS (both headquarters and EU 
Delegations.  This  can  be  done  inter  alia  through  measures  including 
regular  meetings,  temporary  exchange  of  liaison  officers,  joint  exercises 
and training. 

5.2. 

Strengthening coordination 

For disasters in third countries, the EU strongly supports the central coordinating role of the 
UN,  in  particular  that  of  the  UN  Office  for  Coordination  of  Humanitarian  Affairs.  Stronger 
EU co-ordination will reinforce the UN’s role by ensuring a coherent EU contribution to UN-
led relief efforts.  

The Commission will: 

– 

– 

– 

to 

Strengthen  EU  support 
in-country  coordination  of 
the  UN 
humanitarian  assistance  (the  cluster  system  and  UN  humanitarian 
the  possible  deployment  of  EU 
coordinator) 
humanitarian liaison staff and the possible secondment of EU staff to the 
local UN coordination system. 

including 

through 

Use  the  Emergency  Response  Centre  to  streamline  information  flows 
between the EU and the UN regarding the EU's overall relief efforts.  

Improve the reporting by the UN financial tracking system of the overall 
EU assistance in any given disaster. 

18 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  use  and  further  develop  ARGUS  (see  COM(2005)662)  and  related 
procedures for cross-hazard multi-sectoral crises plus for coordination across all Commission services.  

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The  bringing  together  of  humanitarian  aid  and  civil  protection  in  the  portfolio  of  a  single 
Commissioner  provides  opportunities  for  joint  analyses,  joint  information  gathering, 
simplified feed-in to the cluster coordination system and improved intra-EU coordination on 
the ground. To further strengthen the coherence of European emergency relief assistance the 
Commission will: 

– 

– 

– 

Propose  the  nomination  of  humanitarian  focal  points  in  Member  States 
available at all times for information exchange. These focal points will be 
linked with national contact points for the EU Civil Protection Mechanism 
to ensure a fully joined-up approach. 

Develop  a  web-based  information  tool  (based  on  the  current  14  points 
system for humanitarian  aid  and  the  CECIS19 system for civil protection 
assistance). This tool will allow real-time communication related to EU (27 
Member  States  and  Commission)  humanitarian  assistance  and  in-kind 
assistance.  

Encourage  Member  States  to  provide  timely  reporting  on  humanitarian 
contributions.  

6. 

A More Visible Response 

EU visibility is not an end in itself. At the  same time, the  EU  public  has  a  right  to  be  given 
accurate and complete information about  the way that the EU is responding to disasters. At 
present,  EU  is  the  largest  humanitarian  donor  and  its  efforts  are  considered  operationally 
effective but they are  not always  visible to EU citizens, to beneficiary developing countries 
and international partners. This greatly weakens the credibility and negotiating position of EU 
at  international  level  in  an  era  driven  by  globalisation.  An  adequate  scenario  planning 
approach  is  also  needed  for  communications  issues.  EU  institutions,  together  with  Member 
States,  need  to  develop  a  communications  strategy  that  will  improve  the  visibility  of  the  EU 
response.  

It  is  also  important  that  EU  funding,  through  international  and  local  partner  organizations,  is 
properly acknowledged and visible in situ (except in cases where the presence of EU symbols 
would make the delivery of aid more difficult) and on the internet. 

The Commission will: 

– 

Present  a  single  overall  figure  for  EU  emergency  relief  assistance  (both 
financial  and  in-kind)  rather  than  separate  EU  and  Member  States’ 
figures while giving full credit to related bilateral assistance. 

–  Work  to  ensure  that  EU  symbols  are  used  in  conjunction  with  national 
badges for all EU and Member State staff/assistance deployed in response 
to disasters. 

– 

Consider  ways  for  partner  organisations  to  give  adequate  visibility  to 
emergency  relief  assistance  funded  by  the  EU  (e.g.  through  the  EU  or 
double logo on relief items). 

19 

Common Emergency Communication and Information System – a secure system linking civil protection authorities 
participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the Commission. 

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–  Monitor the respect of existing funding conditions more closely.  

– 

Consider appropriate branding of a strengthened EU response capacity. 

7. 

Conclusion 

The strategy outlined in this Communication represents the first step in the development of a 
reinforced  EU  disaster  response  capacity.  It  will  help  maximize  the  impact  of  the  EU's 
contribution to alleviating the suffering  of the  victims  of  disasters inside the  EU  and across 
the world. Legislative proposals will be proposed in 2011 to implement the key proposals. 

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