The Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic announced on June 2 that the budget of rescEU - part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism - will be significantly reinforced with €2 billion over 2021-2027 to create reserves of strategic equipment to cover health emergencies, forest fire outbreaks, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incidents or other major emergencies. As such the total budget for the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism will top €3,1 billion.
“When the coronavirus hit Europe, there was a lack of many kinds of medical equipment across Member States. Yet the EU did not have the power or the means to offer equipment; we could only encourage cooperation. Citizens expect the EU to act during a crisis. We all need to be better prepared and learn the lessons. rescEU will be massively strengthened to leave no EU country behind during a crisis,” said Lenarcic.
Under the Commission’s proposal:
- The EU will create a reserve of crisis response capacities (including medical equipment, medical evacuation planes, field hospitals, firefighting planes and helicopters) at EU level that can be mobilised quickly for use in all Member States.
- The EU will, for the first time, be able to directly procure equipment, ensuring a safety net of emergency response assets that can support Member States in overwhelming crisis situations.
- The EU will fully finance the development and operational costs of rescEU capabilities.
- The Commission has also proposed a substantial boost of its global humanitarian budget by €5 billion, allocating in total €14,8 billion to better respond to growing needs worldwide in the next EU long-term budget 2021-2027.