On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and Union support for health emergency preparedness and response, and repealing Decision No 1313/2013/EU (Union Civil Protection Mechanism)
DEVE-AD-785433
Committee on Development · Rapporteur: Barry Andrews
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.
The Committee on Development gives its opinion on the proposed regulation replacing Decision No 1313/2013/EU on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and adding health emergency preparedness. It proposes amendments to keep the Mechanism's role in responding to disasters outside Europe and to open participation to more third countries.¶¶¶ The amendments would let low-income and lower middle-income countries associate, with contributions partly waived and counted as Official Development Assistance, and would give specific attention to Overseas Countries and Territories and outermost regions.¶¶¶ They would strengthen the external dimension of training and capacity building, require context-specific training and duty of care for deployed staff, and require respect for humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law in operations outside the Union.¶¶¶ Other amendments address risk assessments, ecosystem-based approaches, civil-military coordination, the Crisis Coordination Hub, medical evacuations, rescEU deployment and the Knowledge Network.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Development proposes amendments to the Commission proposal to keep the Mechanism's humanitarian role outside Europe, open association to more third countries including low-income ones, strengthen the external dimension of training and capacity building, and require respect for humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law.¶¶¶
Key points
- The proposal would replace and repeal Decision No 1313/2013/EU, integrating the Union Civil Protection Mechanism with health emergency preparedness and a Crisis Coordination Hub.¶¶
- The Mechanism would remain a tool to mobilise assistance beyond Europe, respecting humanitarian principles and coordinating closely with humanitarian actors.¶¶
- Third countries could participate if they contribute financially and make resources or expertise available; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine currently participate.¶
- Association would be opened to countries beyond the immediate neighbourhood, including low-income and lower middle-income countries, and to countries near outermost regions and Overseas Countries and Territories.¶¶
- For low-income and lower middle-income countries, association contributions could be partially waived and accounted for as Official Development Assistance in line with OECD-DAC criteria.¶
- Overseas Countries and Territories and outermost regions would receive specific attention and support in prevention, preparedness and response, and their cooperation with neighbouring countries would be reinforced.¶¶¶
- Training and capacity building under the Knowledge Network would be opened to expertise from outside the EU, with context-specific training for staff deployed outside the EU and duty of care for those deployed.¶¶
- Risk assessments would be published and shared with the Commission at least once every four years, and the Commission with the EEAS would obtain information from partner and neighbouring countries on risks originating outside the EU.¶¶
- Prevention and resilience measures would address the underlying drivers of disaster risk in developing countries and fragile states, using ecosystem-based approaches and going beyond emergency response and early warning.¶¶
- Civil-military interaction would be improved with NATO and coordination with humanitarian actors including UN agencies, NGOs and local responders, and military use would follow international humanitarian law and the Oslo Guidelines.¶¶
- The Crisis Coordination Hub would cooperate with the EEAS Crisis Response Centre and respect the Humanitarian Aid Regulation and international humanitarian law; assistance in armed conflict would strictly follow international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles.¶¶
- rescEU capacities could be deployed outside the Union for crises of regional or international concern, in fragile contexts respecting humanitarian principles, and would be available for vulnerable regions including outermost and border regions near war zones.¶¶
Who is affected
- Third countries, especially low-income and lower middle-income countries, which could associate with the Mechanism and receive support.¶¶¶
- Overseas Countries and Territories and outermost regions, which would receive specific attention and support and act as vantage points for response.¶¶
- Deployed experts, EUCP Teams and volunteers, for whom training, safety, security and duty of care would be strengthened.¶¶¶
- Humanitarian and civil protection personnel, whose safety and security would be a priority, including protection of humanitarian staff in training.¶
- Member States and associated countries, which would conduct risk assessments and provide guidance on the safety of deployed personnel.¶¶¶