Ex-post evaluation of the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism (including RescEU)

Key points:

The EESC: 

• Considers that response time is an essential element in crisis management. This requires the appointment, via the UCPM team with the collaboration of national agencies, of one single authority which will have the command for the management of each crisis and will make decisions on the effective allocation and deployment of available forces.
• Considers that expanding pre-positioning to fields other than firefighting, at all stages of civil protection (prevention, preparedness and response), should be considered as a catalyst that will enhance the operational capacity of the mechanism.
• Considers that a legal framework should be adopted for the participation of volunteers (individuals or organisations) in the assistance offered in severe crises. Compensation and insurance schemes should be introduced for people who might experience accidents, private property losses, health risks or other hazards.