EU civil protection
Any country in the world can request assistance through the EU civil protection mechanism when an emergency overwhelms their disaster response capabilities.
What is civil protection?
Civil protection encompasses preventive measures to reduce the impact of future emergencies or disasters and aid delivered to populations in need following a natural or man-made disaster.
Depending on the nature of the disaster, this aid can take different forms, such as:
- search and rescue operations
- forest and urban firefighting
- medical personnel deployment
- medical equipment and medicines
- water purification
- temporary emergency shelter
- safe repatriation of EU citizens
Countries struck by large-scale disasters are often overwhelmed and their response capacity is limited. Therefore it is vital to have a coordinated response at EU level to:
- ensure that aid is provided where it is needed
- avoid duplication of relief efforts
How the EU civil protection mechanism works
The EU civil protection mechanism coordinates the response to natural and man-made disasters at EU level. It aims to:
- foster cooperation among national civil protection authorities
- increase public awareness of and preparedness for disasters
- enable quick, effective, coordinated assistance to affected populations
In addition to the 27 EU countries, certain non-EU countries participate in the mechanism: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
The emergency response coordination centre (ERCC) is the operational heart of the EU civil protection mechanism. It monitors events around the globe 24/7 and coordinates the EU's disaster response efforts.
Satellite maps produced by the Copernicus emergency management service also support civil protection operations. The timely and precise geospatial information provided by Copernicus is useful for delineating affected areas and plan disaster relief operations.
The mechanism includes a European civil protection pool. This is a voluntary pool of assets pre-committed by member states for immediate deployment inside or outside the EU.
In 2019 the EU established the rescEU reserve, which includes:
- a fleet of firefighting planes and helicopters
- medical evacuation planes
- emergency medical teams and field hospitals
- a stockpile of medical equipment and mobile laboratory capacities
- detection, decontamination and stockpiling capacities to respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents
- temporary shelters
- transport and logistics
The EU civil protection mechanism also helps coordinate national authorities’ disaster preparedness and prevention activities and contributes to the exchange of best practices.
To ensure a better response to future challenges, in May 2021 the Council adopted a new regulation to strengthen the mechanism.
The new rules give the EU additional capacities to respond to new risks in the EU and beyond and boost the rescEU reserve.
In November 2023, the EU adopted a decision on funding for firefighting planes and helicopters until the end of 2027.
EU civil protection in action
Any country in the world – but also the United Nations and its agencies, and other international organisations – can call on the EU civil protection mechanism for help, when the scale of an emergency overwhelms its capacity to respond on its own.
Following a country's request for assistance, the ERCC coordinates and mobilises assistance or expertise offered by member states.
Since 2001, the EU civil protection mechanism has been activated over 770 times inside and outside the EU.
Recent activations include:
- Russia's war on Ukraine
- conflict in the Middle East
- forest fires and floods in Europe
- the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria in 2023
- the COVID-19 health emergency in 2020-2022
- repatriations from Afghanistan in 2021
Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine
In response to Russia's military aggression, the EU is coordinating the largest EU civil protection mechanism operation to date.
All EU countries, as well as Iceland, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye, are providing material assistance to Ukraine, including:
- medical supplies
- power generators
- shelter items and protective clothing
- firefighting equipment
- food and water pumps
The EU has established logistical hubs in Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to channel items to Ukraine more efficiently.
Given the immense need for medical supplies in Ukraine, the EU has deployed its strategic rescEU reserves. The EU is also coordinating medical evacuations of Ukrainian patients in urgent need of treatment and has opened a dedicated medical hub in Rzeszów (Poland).
Civil protection and climate change
Extreme weather events resulting from climate change are becoming more frequent, intense and persistent.
That is why, in March 2022, the Council adopted conclusions calling for the further adaptation of civil protection systems to the consequences of climate change, in terms of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
In this context, member states are encouraged to:
- invest in research and innovation
- ensure the availability of sufficient capacities at national level
- support the preparedness of the population
These conclusions are an important step in the direction of enhancing the EU's resilience.
Climate change costs lives and money (infographic)
Council Working Party on Civil Protection
In the Council, the Working Party on Civil Protection (PROCIV) is the body responsible for discussing issues related to civil protection, such as:
- legislative proposals from the Commission
- Council conclusions on specific topics
- contributions to negotiations in international fora
It also holds policy discussions and exchanges on particular topics. The working party is chaired by the rotating presidency of the Council, which prepares the work programme.
Last review: 1 August 2025