Union Civil Protection Mechanism

PURPOSE: to update the financial envelope laid down in Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union's Civil Protection Mechanism.

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: Decision No 1313/2013/EU sets out a financial envelope for the Union Mechanism that constitutes the prime reference amount intended to cover programme expenditure until the end of the 2014-2020 budgetary period. The financial envelope needs to be updated and replaced by the new figures provided for in the Commission’s proposal for the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework. In addition, given that the Union Mechanism/rescEU will be placed under a single heading (Heading 5: ‘Security and Defence’), as opposed to the current split between headings 3 and 4, the text should be amended accordingly.

The proposed amendment is in line with the Commission proposal for the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework of 2 May 2018. The amount indicated in this proposal also mirrors the level of ambition set by the Commission in its proposed revision of Decision No 1313/2013/EU of 23 November 2017 (rescEU proposal).

CONTENT: the proposal aims to align the budgetary provisions of Decision No 1313/2013/EU with the Commission's proposal for the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 in order to provide the budgetary resources necessary to finance an enhanced EU Civil Protection Mechanism and to allow this action to continue during the period covered by the next MFF.

The general objective of the existing legislation is to further strengthen cooperation between the EU and the Member States and to facilitate coordination in the field of civil protection with regard to the prevention, preparedness and response to natural and man-made disasters.

In line with the Commission’s proposal, EUR 1.4 billion (in current prices) has been allocated for implementing the Union Mechanism for the 2021-2027 period. The proposed budgetary allocation mirrors the level of ambition set by the Commission’s proposal to amend the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The additional budget will allow the following actions to be carried out:

- reinforce the collective capacity of the Member States and the Union to respond to disasters by creating  a dedicated reserve of response capacities (rescEU);

- higher (or new) EU co-financing to adapt, repair, transport and/or operate capacities that are committed to the European Civil Protection Pool;

- focus more on prevention and on improving coherence with other key EU policies;

- set up a civil protection knowledge network, and;

- strengthen cooperation with neighbourhood countries.

This proposal also envisages the deletion of Annex I, which currently establishes the relative percentages that each pillar of the Union Mechanism (prevention, preparedness and response) should receive in terms of funding from the overall financial envelope. Annex I is not flexible enough to allow the Union to properly adjust investments in prevention, preparedness and response. Investment levels to be allocated to the different phases of the disaster risk management cycle need to be determined in advance. This prevents the Union from being able to react to the unpredictable nature of disaster management.

The proposal provides for entry into force on 1 January 2021 and is adapted to a Union with 27 Member States, in line with the United Kingdom's intention to withdraw from the EU and Euratom.