Decision (EU) 2023/2671 amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU to extend the rescEU transitional period

Summary:

Decision (EU) 2023/2671 - adopted by the co-legislators on 22 November 2023 - introducing amendments to Decision No 1313/2013/EU to extend the rescEU transitional period.

Further information:

Council Decision No 1313/2013/EU governs the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), aimed at supporting, coordinating and supplementing the action of Member States in the field of civil protection to prevent, prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters within and outside the European Union. The UCPM was first established in 2001. The Decision was amended by Decision (EU) 2019/420 which established rescEU. This is a reserve of capacities aimed at providing assisting in overwhelming situations where overall existing capacities at national level and those pre-committed by Member States to the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP) are not able or are insufficient to ensure an effective response to the various kinds of disasters.

The capacities were developed notably in the area of aerial forest firefighting. While some of those capacities are readily accessible on the market, the availability of aerial forest firefighting capacities takes more time. To ensure a smooth transition towards the full implementation of rescEU, the European Commission was empowered to provide financing the ensure the rapid availability of relevant national capacities for a period of five years. However, the absence of the required highly-specialised aircraft on the market showed that a longer timeframe (beyond 2024) was needed for the development of amphibious aerial forest firefighting aircraft.

This Decision has the sole purpose to ensure that the European Union can continue providing emergency support to Member States in fighting wildfires through the capacities developed under the rescEU transition, until the permanent European aerial forest firefighting fleet becomes available. It extends the end of the transition period to December 2027, aligning it with the end of the existing Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The draft law was adopted by the European Commission on 14 April 2023. The Council of the European Union adopted its general approach to the proposed Decision on 16 June, without amendments. The plenary of the European Parliament adopted the text on 17 October which was subsequently endorsed by the Council on 16 November. The Act was signed by the co-legislators on 22 November 2023 and published in the Official Journal on 28 November 2023.

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2023)194: Proposal for a Decision amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2023:194:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on Union Civil Protection Mechanism (2023/0095(COD)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2023/0095(COD)

European Parliament: Legislative Train Schedule: Amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-stronger-europe-in-the-world/file-amending-ucpm-law

European Commission: DG European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO): rescEU https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/resceu_en

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 16/06/2023: Firefighting planes and helicopters: Council agrees position to guarantee financing https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/06/16/firefighting-planes-and-helicopters-council-agrees-position-to-guarantee-financing/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 13/11/2023: Council adopts decision on funding for firefighting planes and helicopters https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/11/13/council-adopts-decision-on-funding-for-firefighting-planes-and-helicopters/

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