Chapter 11, Article 55 · Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/704

Contents

Article 55Decision on Union assistance for response actions#

1.When assessing the requests in accordance with Article 53, the Commission shall take the following into account:

(a)the information contained in the request for Union financing assistance for response actions submitted by the Member State in accordance with Article 54(1);

(b)the needs expressed by the affected country activating the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the needs identified by the ERCC and the needs of other affected countries, as in the case of consular assistance activations;

(c)any needs assessments carried out by the EUCP Team deployed in the affected country and experts reporting to the Commission immediately before or during the disaster;

(d)other relevant and reliable information available to the Commission at the time of the decision provided by Member States and by international organisations;

(e)the efficiency and effectiveness of transport and logistical solutions or operations designed to ensure the timely delivery of civil protection assistance;

(f)other relevant actions undertaken by the Commission.

2.Member States shall provide any additional information needed to assess the requests in accordance with Article 53. Following the receipt of a request from the Commission for additional information, Member States shall provide the requested information as soon as possible.

3.The Commission shall indicate the amount of pre-financing payment to be paid. This pre-financing payment may be up to 85 % of the requested Union financial contribution, subject to the availability of budgetary resources. No pre-financing shall be provided for response actions that have already been completed. No pre-financing shall be provided if grants do not meet the threshold established for low-value grants defined in Article 2, point (41), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, unless the Member State requesting financial support can demonstrate that the absence of pre-financing would compromise the implementation of the response action.

4.The Commission shall immediately communicate the decision on Union assistance in response actions to the Member State requesting financial support and to all other Member States.

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;