PURPOSE: to establish, from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013, a Preparedness and Rapid Response Instrument for major emergencies, which should contribute to the development and implementation of Community civil protection measures, as a contribution to help improving the effectiveness of systems for preparing for and responding to major emergencies.
PROPOSED ACT : Council Regulation.
CONTENT: in its Communication on the Financial Perspectives adopted on 14 July 2004, the Commission called for action at European level to provide a common response to emergency situations of different origin in an efficient and coordinated way. Action would cover both solidarity and rapid reaction, with measures allowing for immediate response and providing assistance in the aftermath of a major crisis.
The objective of the present proposal is to develop the rapid reaction strand of the Commission’s integrated approach, in order to provide for Community financial assistance to support and complement the efforts of Member States for the protection of people, the environment and property by contributing to the effectiveness of systems for the preparedness for and response to major emergencies regardless of
their origin as well as to prepare for and respond to public health effects arising from major emergencies.
The solidarity strand is developed through a complementary proposal of a “European Union Solidarity Fund” (please refer to COD/2005/0033).
This proposal will constitute, once adopted, the new legal basis for granting Community financial support to civil protection actions and measures in the field of preparedness and rapid response.
To that effect, the proposal build sup on the existing instruments while widening and setting out in more detail the actions eligible for funding. The range of actions that could potentially be financed under the proposal, in terms of preparedness and rapid response, is wide since the Instrument to be established could finance actions ranging from capacity building assistance, demonstration projects, awareness and dissemination actions to training and exercises, dispatching and sending out of experts and mobilisation on short notice of adequate means and equipment. Particular attention has also been given to identify logistical support actions, such as secure communication systems and tools, which are necessary for the proper achievement of rapid response interventions.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
- Budget lines:
07 03 06 01: Community action programme in the field of civil protection. This also includes expenditure actions in the framework of the Community civil protection Mechanism.
07 03 09: Community cooperation in the field of marine pollution.
- Duration of the action and of the financial impact: 2007-2013.
The proposed instrument aims at financing civil protection activities in the field of preparedness and rapid response.
As far as the preparedness is concerned, the following actions should be financed:
- training, exercises, workshops, exchange of staff and experts estimated at EUR 8.665 to 12.915 million per year;
- establishment and maintenance of secure communication system and tools estimated at EUR 1 million per year;
- as well as studies, surveys, modelling, scenario building and contingency planning; capacity building assistance; demonstration projects; technology transfer; awareness and dissemination actions; communication actions; provision of adequate means and equipment and monitoring assessment and
evaluation, estimated at EUR 2.635 to 3.875 million per year;
The annual estimation in the field of preparedness sums up to EUR 12.3 to 17.79 million per year. The estimations are based on the cost of the actions realized in 2004 and 2005 in this field.
Concerning the rapid response, the following actions should be financed by the proposed Instrument:
- transportation and associated logistical support for experts, liaison officers, observers, intervention teams, equipment and mobile facilities; estimated at EUR 2.4 to 6 million per year;
- dispatching and sending out of experts, liaison officers and observers;
estimated EUR 0.3 to 0.4 million per year
- mobilisation on short notice of adequate means and equipment, estimated at up to EUR 4.81 million per year.
The annual estimation in the field disaster response sums up to EUR 2.7 to 11.21 million. The estimations are based on the cost of the actions realized in 2004 and 2005 in this field.
The overall annual budget for this instrument is therefore estimated at EUR 15 to 29 million per year.
Moreover, it is appropriate to earmark an amount of EUR 1 million per year to finance the technical assistance actions foreseen by the proposed instrument.
Therefore the total amount is estimated to be EUR 173 million for the period of seven years.