Chapter 9, Article 34 · Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/704

Contents

Article 34Criteria for deployment decisions on rescEU capacities#

1.Upon receiving a request for assistance, the ERCC shall assess whether existing capacities offered by Member States through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and capacities pre-committed to the ECPP are sufficient to ensure an effective response to that request. Where an effective response cannot be ensured, the Commission shall decide, through the ERCC, on the deployment of rescEU capacities in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12(6) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU.

2.The decision to deploy rescEU capacities shall take the following specific criteria into account:

(a)the operational situation in the Member States and potential disaster risks;

(b)the appropriateness and adequacy of the rescEU capacities to respond to the disaster;

(c)the geographic location of the rescEU capacities, including estimated times and costs of transport to the affected area;

(d)other relevant criteria including sustainability, prior experience and use of the capacities.

3.In the event of conflicting requests for assistance, the following additional criteria shall be taken into account when deciding where to deploy rescEU capacities:

(a)the projected risks to human lives;

(b)the projected risks to critical infrastructure and critical entities as defined in Article 2 of Directive (EU) 2022/2557, irrespective of whether they are located inside or outside the Union;

(c)the projected impact of the disasters, including the environmental impact;

(d)needs identified by the ERCC;

(e)the potential risk of the disasters spreading;

(f)socioeconomic effects;

(g)the invocation of the solidarity clause pursuant to Article 222 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

(h)other relevant operational factors.

Defined terms · 7

Show every defined term

civil protection assistance
means experts, modules, other response capacities or technical assistance and support teams intended for civil protection, together with their equipment and in-kind assistance, including relief materials or supplies needed to mitigate the immediate consequences of a disaster;
European Union Civil Protection Team
(‘EUCP Team’) means a team composed of experts and, when necessary, a TAST, that is selected and deployed by the ERCC under terms of reference related to a request for prevention or preparedness expertise or an emergency response in the context of an ongoing request for assistance;
operational lifespan
means the total period of time during which a capacity can technically perform its function in accordance with its quality requirements, taking into consideration its components;
other response capacity
means either a self-sufficient, autonomous, deployable and predefined task-driven and needs-driven arrangement of Member States’ capabilities or a mobile operational team of the Member States.
pre-committed response capacity to the ECPP
means a response capacity offered by a Member State for registration in the ECPP for which the Commission has formally notified the offering Member State that the certification has been completed.
requestor of assistance
means a Member State or third country affected by a disaster or imminent disaster or expecting to be affected by an imminent disaster, the United Nations and its agencies and other relevant international organisations listed in Annex VI;
technical assistance and support team
(‘TAST’) means the human and material resources assigned by one or more Member States to fulfil logistical and support tasks;