Civil protection at a glance.
Date: 2015-01-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
Subjects: EU aid, civil defence, environmental risk prevention, help for victims, humanitarian aid, natural disaster, the EU's international role

Civil

protection

at a glance

Humanitarian 
Aid and Civil 
Protection

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RESPONDING
TO DISASTER, 
GLOBALLY

Mission: prevent, prepare and respond
The severity and frequency of natural and man-made 
disasters are on the rise. To help people caught up 
in crises, the European Union supports rapid and 
coordinated disaster response as well as disaster 
prevention and preparedness activities, both in Europe 
and globally. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM) 
thus helps provides a coordinated response to better 
protect people, their environment, property and cultural 
heritage in the event of major disasters.

A cooperative approach
The EU Civil Protection mechanism brings together 32 
participating states, namely the 28 EU Member States, 
Iceland, Norway, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia. 

These countries work together at national, regional and 
local levels. They assess risks, train their civil protection 
personnel together, pool and share resources, and 
jointly respond to the needs of the populations affected 
by disasters.

Response
The EU CPM coordinates the provision of civil protection assistance, 
based on resources made available by the 32 participating states. 
Such assistance may include search and rescue, medical teams, 
shelter, water purification units and other relief items, as required. 
The mechanism can, for example, be activated to fight forest fires, to 
assist communities hit by flooding and storms, to rescue survivors of 
earthquakes, or to help in the aftermath of industrial disasters.

Bringing it all together: ERCC
The operational heart of the EU CPM is the Emergency Response 
Coordination Centre (ERCC), which operates on a 24/7 basis. The ERCC 
monitors the evolution of disasters, matches offers of assistance 
to the needs of the disaster-affected people and coordinates the 
transport and delivery of aid. It also acts as a communication hub 
between the participating states, the affected country and deployed 
field experts.

 
 
Country hit
by disaster ERCC

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ERCC

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32

countrie
particip

Since 2001, the EU CPM has reacted to more 
than 200 disasters worldwide, including: 
Hurricane Katrina (United States, 2005), 
earthquakes (Italy, 2009; Haiti, 2010; Turkey, 
2011; Japan, 2011), tsunamis (Japan, 2011), 
the need for evacuation assistance (Libya, 
2011), ammunition explosions, (Democratic 
Republic of the Congo, 2012), typhoons, 
flooding, forest fires and tropical storms 
(Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013; Pakistan, 
2011; El Salvador, 2011; the Philippines, 2011, 
2013), extreme weather (Slovenia, 2014) and 
catastrophic floods (Bosnia and Herzegovina and 
Serbia, 2014).

Prevention and preparedness
Investing in risk prevention and preparedness before a 
disaster strikes pays significant dividends compared to facing 
the costs of relief, recovery and reconstruction afterwards. 
The EU complements national efforts by focusing on areas 
where common European action is more effective than 
separate national approaches.

Since 2007, numerous prevention and preparedness activities 
have been co-financed by the EU.

Training helps to improve the skills and knowledge of 
experts, while EU-supported field exercises simulate 
crises and realistically test the compatibility of teams from 
different participating states.

Civil protection modules, i.e. standardised units of 
personnel and equipment, along with pre-established 
response plans for various disaster scenarios allow for 
interventions at very short notice.

Awareness-raising is key to preventing disasters or 
minimising their impact and are often carried out through 
cooperation projects involving several EU Member States.

EU support for the development of innovative technologies 
and early warning tools further strengthens European civil 
protection. 

An all-round European response
The EU responds to disasters worldwide by deploying its two main tools designed for this purpose: humanitarian aid and civil 
protection. In humanitarian aid, its unrivalled international network of field-based experts and humanitarian partner organisations 
enables the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Office (ECHO) to channel emergency assistance and 
relief to victims of natural disasters or armed conflicts globally. In complex disasters, which require the mobilisation of both 
instruments, the Emergency Response Coordination Centre acts as a global hub for effective and rapid action.  

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Balkans Floods 2014 

In May 2014, the region’s worst flooding in 
a century hit Bosnia and Herzegovina and 
Serbia. It affected an estimated 3 million 
people and displaced thousands.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism 
(CPM) was immediately activated. The 
Commission’s Emergency Response 
Coordination Centre coordinated and 
supported the rapid deployment of 
over 600 relief workers and other 
crucial assistance provided by nearly all 
Member States, including rescue and 
evacuation helicopters, motor boats, 
generators, sandbags, tents, blankets and 
humanitarian aid kits. 

‘Almost half of the country was severely 
affected by a devastating 
combination of flash 
floods and landslides and 
large quantities of water,’ 
said Ionut Homeag, a 
Romanian expert in the 
EU civil protection team 
deployed to Bosnia and 
Herzegovina. He explained: 

‘Our efforts were concentrated on saving 
lives and putting people in safe places. We 
worked closely with the Bosnian authorities 
at the central level as well as on the 
ground in the affected areas. The response 
from the Member States was absolutely 
great, a true expression of solidarity and 
support.’

More than 1 700 people were rescued 
from the waters by the team, large-
scale pumping capacity was deployed 
and dozens of tonnes of food, water and 
medicines were delivered to isolated 
communities.

For further information:
Tel. +32 22954400
E-mail: echo-info@ec.europa.eu
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/echo

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Publications Office of the European Union, 2014
ISBN 978-92-79-37483-8, doi:10.2795/26046

© European Union, 2014
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