Report on progress made and gaps remaining in the European Emergency Response Capacity

The European Emergency Response Capacity (EERC) was created to prepare the EU for a multitude of potential disasters. It consists of various civil protection resources, which Participating States in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism make available for EU emergency response operations. Since the establishment of the EERC, 16 Participating States have committed 77 resources (e.g. search and rescue teams, medical teams, water purification systems, etc.) which are now available for EU operations worldwide. Many of the EERC's targets, or "capacity goals", which are enshrined in EU legislation, have therefore been met.

Gaps, or shortcomings, in terms of available resources still exist with regard to (1) forest fire fighting planes and (2) shelter. Whether some other types of resources are sufficiently available, they would require further assessment. This would be the case for (a) resources needed in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear disasters, (b) big field hospitals and medical evacuation capacities as part of the European Medical Corps, (c) remotely piloted aircraft systems, and (d) communication teams. Some of the current capacity goals may also need to be revised in order to take account of changing risk assessments and operational experience.

The Commission invites Participating States to address the remaining gaps in the EERC and to actively support the process of reviewing and possibly adapting and/or complementing the current EERC capacity goals in 2017.

ESO: Background information: EU Civil Protection Mechanism http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-civil-protection-mechanism-how-the-eu-budget-is-spent/

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