The Commission presents its 37th Annual Report on the EU's anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard activities and the use of trade defence instruments by third countries targeting the EU in 2018. This report gives two accounts of the EU’s trade defence activity:

- exceptionally, going beyond the legal obligations, the report specifically takes stock of the major challenges, developments and achievements of the Juncker Commission in the area of trade defence;

- the report describes the EU’s anti-dumping , anti-subsidy and safeguard activities as well as the trade defence activity of third countries against the EU in 2018, in accordance with the requirements of the Anti-Dumping, Anti-Subsidy and basic Safeguard Regulations.

Overview and achievements of the Juncker Commission

The Commission notes that during the 60 years of history of the EU’s trade defence instruments (TDI), there was probably no period that was more challenging than the one between 2014 and 2019. Global overcapacity in steel significantly increased the requests for trade defence measures.

Modernisation of trade defence instruments (TDI ): new global market realities and a rising wave of unfair trade practices made modernisation of the rules a necessity. These entered into force on 8 June 2018 and made the following changes:

introduction of an improved injury margin calculation, including a minimum profit of 6% as well as the possibility of reflecting the investments and R&D needs of the Union industry when calculating the injury margin; adoption of a shorter time-frame for the imposition of provisional measures– these measures must now be adopted normally within seven months, but not later than within eight months (previously the timeframe was nine months); introduction of a pre-warning mechanism on the imposition of provisional anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures. No other TDI jurisdiction operates such a system. EU SMEs will receive additional support when considering or being affected by TDI measures; for the first time, trade defence law allows the Commission to take into account social and environmental aspects in countries under scrutiny in a number of well-defined circumstances. This applies in particular in relation of the lesser duty rule when it comes to determining the injury margin.

New dumping calculation methodology and strengthened anti-subsidy instrument : amendments to the TDI legislation introduced a new methodology to calculate the normal value of goods subject to investigation, in case of significant distortions induced by the authorities of the exporting country. To allow stakeholders to make their case concerning countries where distortions exist, the Commission may publish reports on a country or sectoral distortions. The first such report concerned China, as it has been so far the country most subject to the EU's trade defence activity. New amendments have also strengthened the anti-subsidy instrument. It allows the Commission to better capture the full magnitude of subsidisation by making it possible to also address subsidies identified only in the course of an investigation. This change is important because foreign governments increasingly provide subsidies in a non-transparent manner and in violation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules on the notification of subsidies.

Increased trade defence activity : global overcapacity in steel significantly increased the requests for trade defence measures. The Commission, by imposing 25 new TDI measures on steel during this period, made an important contribution to the viability and global competitiveness of the European steel industry. In addition:

in the period of November 2014 - December 2018, 170 TDI cases were initiated and 95 measures were applied in order to restore a level playing field. Of the latter, 35 are new measures and the remainder are renewals or extensions of existing measures; EU TDI measures imposed since the beginning of the Commission's mandate effectively preserved more than 124 000 jobs. The steel sector benefited the most, with over 86 000 jobs protected. Overall, the EU measures that were in force at the end of 2018 effectively protected 320 000 direct industrial jobs from unfair competition; the Commission services intervened in around 70 foreign trade defence investigations. The number of trade defence measures targeting EU exporters now stands at 174, as compared to 162 in 2017. This upward trend is expected to continue over the next years. in 2018, 10 new investigations were initiated. Provisional duties were imposed in two proceedings. Four cases were concluded with the imposition of definitive duties, while eight investigations were concluded without measures.

Duty levels

Duty levels applied by the EU were lower than those imposed by other trade partners. For instance, duties on steel currently range on average from 29% to 45%, while the corresponding duty averages applied by the United States (US) is 54% – 87%. One of the main reasons for these lower average duties in the EU is the ‘lesser duty rule’ (LDR), which commands that either the source of unfair competition (dumping margin) or its effect (injury margin) - whatever is lower - should be remedied.8 Furthermore, the Commission only initiates investigations when they are necessary. It also assesses whether TDI measures are against the EU's overall economic interest before imposing corrective measures.

Anti-dumping activities

At the end of 2018, the EU had 93 definitive anti-dumping measures and 12 countervailing measures in force. This constitutes a slight decrease as compared to the previous year. Investigative work remained at a high level, reaching nearly that of 2017. The work consisted mainly of new investigations under new sets of TDI rules, as well as of a still significant number of reviews. At the end of 2018, 45 investigations were ongoing, as well as six refund investigations covering 99 refund requests.

Review investigations continued to represent a substantial part of the casework. In 2018, as many as 17 expiry review investigations were initiated and seven expiry reviews were concluded with a confirmation of the duty. No expiry review was concluded by the termination of measures. During 2018, four measures expired automatically. Three interim reviews were initiated. Four interim reviews were terminated without amending the measures, and two were concluded with an amendment. Three reinvestigations, which usually concern the implementation of court rulings, were initiated. Five such reviews were concluded.

Lastly, in the period of November 2014 – November 2018, the EU collected, as a result of the imposition of measures, more than EUR 1.5 billion in anti-dumping or countervailing duties (CVD), which were all transferred to the EU budget.

PURPOSE: to strengthen the collective capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2019/420 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

CONTENT: this Decision amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council aims to strengthen cooperation between the Union and the Member States and facilitates coordination in the field of civil protection in order to improve the Union's response to natural and man-made disasters.

From now on, the Union civil protection mechanism shall:

- facilitate rapid and efficient response in the event of disasters or imminent disasters, including by taking measures to mitigate the immediate consequences of disasters;

- increase the availability and use of scientific knowledge on disasters; and

- step up cooperation and coordination activities at cross-border level and between Member States prone to the same types of disasters.

rescEU

Existing civil protection rules provide for a voluntary pool of national capacities to provide mutual support in Europe and the rest of the world.

In addition to strengthening existing capacities, the new rules establish ‘rescEU’, additional capacities shall be used to provide assistance in situations of a particular magnitude when the overall capacities existing at national level and the capacities previously allocated by Member States to the ‘European Civil Protection Pool’ are not sufficient to ensure an effective response.

The Commission shall define, by means of implementing acts, the capacities rescEU shall consist of, taking into account identified and emerging risks, overall capacities and gaps at Union level, in particular in the areas of aerial forest fire fighting, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, and emergency medical response.

rescEU capacities shall be acquired, rented or leased by Member States. For that purpose, direct grants may be awarded by the Commission to Member States without a call for proposals. Where the Commission procures rescEU capacities on behalf of Member States, the joint procurement procedure shall apply. Union financial assistance shall be awarded in accordance with the Union's financial rules.

rescEU capacities shall be hosted by the Member States that acquire, rent or lease those capacities. In the case of joint procurement, rescEU capacities shall be hosted by the Member States on behalf of which they are procured.

Decisions on deployment and demobilisation, and any decision in the event of conflicting requests, shall be taken by the Commission in close coordination with the requesting Member State and the Member State owning, renting or leasing the rescEU capacities in question.

Improving risk prevention and management

Member States shall be required to:

- further develop the assessment of risk management capability at national or appropriate sub-national level;

- make available to the Commission, by 31 December 2020 and every three years thereafter, a summary of the relevant elements of the assessments, focusing on key risks;

- participate, on a voluntary basis, in peer reviews on the assessment of risk management capability.

Additional prevention and preparedness measures shall be considered in the event that a Member State frequently requests the same type of assistance for the same type of disaster.

The Commission, in cooperation with Member States, may also establish specific consultation mechanisms to enhance appropriate prevention and preparedness planning and coordination among Member States that are prone to similar types of disasters, including for cross-border risks and low probability risks with a high impact identified.

Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network

With a view to improving training and knowledge sharing, the Commission shall establish a network of relevant civil protection and disaster management actors and institutions, including centres of excellence, universities and researchers, forming, together with the Commission, a Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network. The Commission shall also strengthen cooperation on training and the sharing of knowledge and experience between the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network and international organisations and third countries.

The Commission shall develop a communication strategy in order to make the tangible results of the actions taken under the Union Mechanism visible to citizens. It shall award medals in order to recognise and honour long-standing commitment and extraordinary contributions to Union civil protection.

Eligible actions relating to equipment and operations

The Union financial assistance for transport shall not exceed 75 % of the total eligible cost related to the transport of the capacities pre-committed to the European Civil Protection Pool, when deployed in the event of a disaster or imminent disaster outside the Union.

Actions receiving financial assistance shall be monitored regularly in order to follow their implementation

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21.3.2019.

The European Parliament adopted by 620 votes to 22 with 35 abstentions a legislative resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on the Union's civil protection mechanism.

The position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Objectives

The Union's Civil Protection Mechanism aims to strengthen cooperation between the Union and the Member States and to facilitate coordination in the field of civil protection with a view to making systems for prevention, preparedness and response to natural and man-made disasters more effective.

Parliament specified that the mechanism should also support Member States' action to (i) promote the implementation of a rapid and effective response when a disaster occurs or is imminent, including measures to mitigate the immediate consequences of disasters; (ii) increase the availability and use of scientific knowledge on disasters; and (iii) increase cooperation and coordination activities at cross-border level and between Member States exposed to similar types of disasters.

Preventive actions

In order to meet the objectives of prevention and to carry out preventive actions, the Commission should, among other things:

- compile and disseminate information provided by Member States, organise an exchange of experience about the assessment of risk management capability, and facilitate the sharing of good practices in prevention and preparedness planning, including through voluntary peer reviews;

- highlight the importance of risk prevention, support the Member States in awareness-raising, public information and training efforts, and support the Member States' efforts in providing public information about alert systems, by providing guidance on such systems, including on a cross-border level.

Risk management

Member States should:

- make available to the Commission, at regular intervals, summaries of their risk assessments as well as the assessment of their risk management capacity, focusing on the main risks;

- share information on prevention and preparedness measures, including those needed to address key risks with cross-border impacts and, where appropriate, those related to risks with a low probability of occurrence but with a high impact.

The Commission could, in cooperation with the Member States, set up specific consultation mechanisms. In addition, it could request information on prevention and preparedness measures related to specific risks when frequent requests for assistance have been made by a Member State. The Commission should assess this information with a view to maximising the Union's overall support for disaster risk management.

European Civil Protection Pool

This would consist of a pool of voluntarily pre-committed response capacities of the Member States and include modules, other response capacities and categories of experts.Assistance provided by a Member State through the European Civil Protection Pool would complement existing capacity in the requesting Member State. Member States would retain primary responsibility for disaster prevention and response on their territory.

RescEU

RescEU would provide assistance in situations of overwhelming importance where the overall capacities existing at national level and the capacities previously allocated by Member States to the European Civil Protection Pool are insufficient to ensure an effective response to disasters. The Commission and the Member States would ensure, where appropriate, an appropriate geographical distribution of rescEU capacities.

The Commission would define, by means of implementing acts, the capabilities of rescEU, taking into account the identified and emerging risks, overall capabilities and gaps at EU level, in particular in the fields of aerial forest fire fighting, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and emergency medical response.

RescEU capacities would be acquitted, rented or leased by Member States. To this end, direct grants could be awarded to Member States by the Commission without a call for proposals.

Rescue capabilities could only be used for national purposes when they are not used or required for response operations under the Union mechanism. They could be deployed if a disaster outside the Union were to significantly affect one or more Member States or their citizens.

Training, exercises, lessons learned and knowledge dissemination

The Commission should:

- establish a network of relevant civil protection and disaster management actors and institutions, including centres of excellence, universities and researchers, forming, together with the Commission, a European Civil Protection Knowledge Network;

- set up and manage a training programme for civil protection and emergency management personnel on the prevention of, preparedness for and response to disasters;

- stimulate research and innovation and encourage the introduction and use of relevant new technologies;

- strengthen cooperation on training and increase the sharing of knowledge and experience between the European Civil Protection Knowledge Network and international organisations and third countries.

The European Parliament adopted by 431 votes to 99, with 97 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, exercising its prerogatives as associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows.

Specific objectives : Parliament specified that the Union mechanism should also support, complement and facilitate the coordination of Member States' action to achieve the following specific objectives:

increase the availability and use of scientific knowledge on disasters, including in the outermost regions and OCTs; mitigate the immediate consequences that catastrophes may have on human lives and on cultural and natural heritage; step up cooperation and coordination activities at cross-border level.

In order to carry out preventive actions, the Commission should coordinate the harmonisation of information and guidance on alert systems , including on a cross-border level.

Members considered that European civil protection capabilities should be accompanied by an increased commitment on the part of Member States in the field of prevention. The regional and local authorities shall be appropriately involved in any coordination and deployment activities carried out under this Decision.

Risk management : the Commission may require Member States to provide specific prevention and preparedness plans which shall cover both short- and long-term efforts. In this regard, these efforts may include a commitment on the part of Member States to encourage investments based on risk assessments and to ensure better post-disaster reconstruction . The additional administrative burden at national and sub-national levels shall be kept as low as possible.

The Commission and the Member States, where possible, shall also foster consistency between disaster risk management and climate change adaptation strategies.

European Civil Protection Pool : this shall consist of a reserve of a voluntary pool of pre-committed capacities of the Member States and include modules, other response capacities and experts.

Special reserve of response capacities (‘rescEU’) : rescEU shall be established to provide relief in exceptional circumstances when capacities at national level are not available and where existing capacities do not allow responding effectively to disasters. RescEU capacities shall not be used to replace Member States' own capacities and relevant responsibilities.

The composition of rescEU shall consist of capacities additional to those that already exist in the Member States, with a view to supplementing and strengthening them, and shall seek to address current and future risks. The capacities are to be identified on the basis of any gaps in response capacities related to health emergencies, industrial, environmental, seismic or volcanic disasters, floods and fires including forest fires, as well as terrorist attacks and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

The nature of these capacities shall remain flexible and may change in order to address new developments and future challenges, such as the consequences of climate change.

Information from the Parliament : in order to ensure full parliamentary scrutiny and monitoring of the process and to detect possible changes with budgetary implications as soon as possible, it is proposed that Parliament and the Council receive annually updated information on the progress of the Civil Protection Mechanism.

Erasmus : Members proposed setting up an ‘ Erasmus Civil Protection Mechanism ’ to strengthen existing cooperation between Member States. This programme shall include an international dimension aimed at supporting the Union’s external action, including its development goals, through cooperation between Member States and between partner countries.

Budget : Parliament want to ensure separate funding and budgetary allocations for the revised EU mechanism. In order to avoid any negative impact on the financing of existing multiannual programmes, the increase in financing for the targeted revision of the Union Mechanism in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 should be drawn exclusively from all means available under the MFF Regulation, with particular recourse to the Flexibility Instrument .

Members set out in detail the additional funding needed for the revision of the UCPM for the period 2018-2020 in the decision itself, by means of a detailed and separate Annex I.

Eligible actions relating to material and operations : for Member States’ capacities that are not pre-committed to the European Civil Protection Pool, the amount of Union financial support for transport resources shall not exceed 55% of the total eligible cost.

Lastly, Parliament called for a communication strategy shall be developed in order to make the tangible results of the actions taken under the Union Mechanism visible to citizens.

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Elisabetta GARDINI (EPP, IT) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, exercising its prerogatives as associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows.

Specific objectives : Members specified that the Union mechanism should also support, complement and facilitate the coordination of Member States' action to achieve the following specific objectives:

increase the availability and use of scientific knowledge on disasters, including in the outermost regions and OCTs; mitigate the immediate consequences that catastrophes may have on human lives and on cultural and natural heritage; step up cooperation and coordination activities at cross-border level.

In order to carry out preventive actions, the Commission should coordinate the harmonisation of information and guidance on alert systems , including on a cross-border level.

Members considered that European civil protection capabilities should be accompanied by an increased commitment on the part of Member States in the field of prevention.

Risk management : the Commission may require Member States to provide specific prevention and preparedness plans which shall cover both short- and long-term efforts. In this regard, these efforts may include a commitment on the part of Member States to encourage investments based on risk assessments and to ensure better post-disaster reconstruction. The additional administrative burden at national and sub-national levels shall be kept as low as possible.

Furthermore, the Commission should be able to take appropriate measures if it considers that the prevention efforts of a Member State are insufficient in the light of the risks facing the Member State in question.

European Civil Protection Pool : this shall consist of a reserve of a voluntary pool of pre-committed capacities of the Member States and include modules, other response capacities and experts.

Special reserve of response capacities (‘rescEU’) : rescEU shall be established to provide relief in exceptional circumstances when capacities at national level are not available and where existing capacities do not allow responding effectively to disasters. RescEU capacities shall not be used to replace Member States' own capacities and relevant responsibilities.

The composition of rescEU shall consist of capacities additional to those that already exist in the Member States, with a view to supplementing and strengthening them, and shall seek to address current and future risks. The capacities are to be identified on the basis of any gaps in response capacities related to health emergencies, industrial, environmental, seismic or volcanic disasters, floods and fires including forest fires, as well as terrorist attacks and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

The nature of these capacities shall remain flexible and may change in order to address new developments and future challenges, such as the consequences of climate change.

In order to ensure full parliamentary scrutiny and monitoring of the process and to detect possible changes with budgetary implications as soon as possible, it is proposed that Parliament and the Council receive annually updated information on the progress of the Civil Protection Mechanism.

Erasmus : Members proposed setting up an ‘ Erasmus Civil Protection Mechanism ’ to strengthen existing cooperation between Member States. This programme shall include an international dimension aimed at supporting the Union’s external action, including its development goals, through cooperation between Member States and between partner countries.

Budget : Members want to ensure separate funding and budgetary allocations for the revised EU mechanism.

In order to avoid any negative impact on the financing of existing multiannual programmes, the increase in financing for the targeted revision of the Union Mechanism in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 should be drawn exclusively from all means available under the MFF Regulation, with particular recourse to the Flexibility Instrument .

Members set out in detail the additional funding needed for the revision of the UCPM for the period 2018-2020 in the decision itself, by means of a detailed and separate Annex I.

The European Commission has presented a communication announcing ambitious new plans to strengthen Europe's capacity to deal with natural disasters .

2017 has seen a wide range of disasters. In total, over 200 people were killed by natural disasters in Europe in 2017. Over one million hectares of forest have been destroyed, almost three times the five-year EU average, half of which was in Portugal alone. The last two years have also seen serious damage from earthquakes.

As well as these environmental disasters, Europe has been hit by terrorist incidents with multiple casualties, including large numbers of complex burn cases needing immediate attention. The Ebola and Zika viruses also served as reminders of the risk from epidemics and health emergencies.

These natural disasters have a significant economic impact .

Since 1980, as well as the human cost, EU Member States have lost over EUR 360 billion in weather and climate extreme events. Since its establishment in 2001, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has monitored more than 400 disasters and received more than 250 requests for assistance.

EU response to date : the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) is at the disposal of Member States and third countries who can activate it when a disaster strikes and their national capacities are insufficient. It works on a voluntary basis whereby a Member State or third country issues a request for assistance via the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and other Member States decide to make an offer of assistance or not.

In recent years, climate and other phenomena have exacerbated the ability of Member States to help each other as each Member State's own capacities have often reached their limits. In parallel, the incentives for Member States to offer assistance via the Union's Civil Protection Mechanism are very low since the EU budget only finances a share of transport costs.

As a consequence, the Union's Civil Protection Mechanism often does not deliver the expected results . For example, in only 10 cases out of the 17 requests for forest fires this year, was assistance actually delivered. At times, the response was too slow.

The Commission considered that a fully integrated approach to prevention, preparedness and response to disasters in the Union and its Member States is urgently needed.

A Europe that protects (rescEU) : the Commission proposed to amend the existing legislation in force as regards civil protection which would allow Europe to take a leap forward in its aim to better prevent, prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters both within and outside the Union.

The changes have the following objectives:

reinforce the EU's and Member States’ collective ability to respond to disasters, and address recurrent and emerging capacity gaps, by putting in place a dual system of response capacity: a dedicated reserve of response capacities with command at control at Union level, to be known as rescEU; and a more effective and dynamic contribution from Member States through a European Civil Protection Pool; strengthen the focus on prevention action as part of the disaster risk management cycle, as well as reinforce coherence with other key EU policies acting, inter alia, in the field of climate change adaptation, disaster prevention and disaster response; ensure the Union's Civil Protection Mechanism is agile and effective in its administrative procedures in support of emergency operations.

Complementarity with other EU policies : the Commission stresses that a higher level of solidarity and responsibility in response and preparedness must be accompanied by the necessary prevention measures to reduce long-term risks. This implies greater coordination of EU policies.

These include the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change, European Structural and Investment Funds, environmental legislation (e.g. flood management plans and eco-system based solutions), research and innovation, and policies to address serious cross-border threats to health.

For post-2020 , the Commission is considering, inter alia :

using risk assessments and risk management planning provisions as an ex-ante conditionality , both under cohesion policy and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; studying how the rules could facilitate co-financed disaster response capacities developed through cohesion policy funds used in the context of the European Civil Protection pool of response assets; consider ways to speed up the procedures to amend the relevant European Structural and Investment Funds’ programmes, in particular following a disaster.

The Commission intends to launch a Communication and Advocacy Campaign on disaster prevention with a particular focus on forest fires, heat waves and other climate-induced extreme weather events, to improve awareness of preventive action.

Member States and Commission should promote more systematic collection and dissemination of loss data , to enhance the collection of loss data and make use of loss data for optimised prevention and climate adaptation planning.

PURPOSE: to strengthen Europe’s capacity to deal with emergency crises (rescEU).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) governed by Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and the Council strengthens cooperation between the Union and the Member States and facilitates coordination in the field of civil protection in order to improve the Union's response to natural and man-made disasters.

Several recent disasters have hit several Member States simultaneously: the refugee and migration crisis and its humanitarian impact, terrorist attacks, the lack of available assets during the 2016 and 2017 forest fire seasons that resulted in over 100 deaths as well as the severe impact of a series of hurricanes in the Caribbean and fierce storms and flooding in the EU, have constituted a real stress test for the UCPM.

Recent experience has shown that reliance on voluntary offers of mutual assistance, coordinated and facilitated by the Union Mechanism, does not always ensure that sufficient capacities are made available to address the basic needs of people affected by disasters in a satisfactory manner, nor that the environment and property are properly safeguarded.

Following the interim evaluation of the UCPM, the examination of the UCPM by the European Court of Auditors and the report on the gaps in critical reaction capacity published in early 2017, the Commission considered it necessary to strengthen European civil protection in the light of disaster trends , including extreme weather, and against the background of internal security concerns.

The proposed changes are part of the broader objective of working towards a ‘Europe that protects’.

CONTENT: the proposal to amend Decision No 1313/2013/EU has the following objectives: (i) to improve disaster prevention and preparedness capabilities; (ii) to improve collective response capacity at European level; and (iii) to ensure the flexibility and efficiency of the administrative procedures of the Union Mechanism when it is involved in emergency operations.

Reinforcement of European reaction assets : the proposal provides for the creation at Union level of a dedicated reserve of reaction assets (called ‘rescEU’) to be deployed by decision of the Commission, which will have the command and control. rescEU will be equipped with selected emergency capacities to respond to wildfires, floods, earthquakes and health emergencies as appropriate.

rescEU shall be established to provide relief where existing capacities do not allow responding effectively to disasters. It shall consist of the following capacities: aerial forest firefighting; high capacity pumping; urban search and rescue; field hospital and emergency medical teams.

All costs of these capacities would be fully covered by EU financing .

At the same time, the Commission proposes to strengthen the European emergency response capacity where Member States can pre-commit national response capacities. This shall be known as the ‘ European Civil Protection Reserve ’.

Under the new proposal, assets committed to the European Civil Protection Pool will benefit from a 75% coverage of all costs incurred during UCPM operations within the Union, including adaptation, repair, transportation and operational costs. The proposal also strengthens the incentives to pool capacities.

Increased capacity for prevention and preparedness : the proposal strengthens the links between prevention, preparedness and response by connecting risk assessment to risk management planning and requiring Member States to provide their risk management plans to the Commission at the latest by 31 January 2019.

Prevention plans need to include short-term actions and longer-term prevention efforts to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change .

Consistency with other EU instruments in the area of disaster risk reduction and prevention should also be strengthened by linking the EU Mechanism with cohesion and rural development policies as well as health and research.

The proposal also includes provisions to ensure that the disbursement of EU funds through the Union mechanism is accompanied by adequate visibility . It also paves the way for the establishment of a dedicated structure, the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network , which will reinforce the training component of the UCPM, in close cooperation with existing relevant national structures on the matter.

More efficient administrative procedures : the proposal seeks to streamline administrative procedures in order to reduce delays in the deployment of aid. It simplifies the current system by introducing a single category of response means, the use of which requires co-financing by the Member States and the EU budget, namely the European Civil Protection Reserve.

In addition, specific provisions limiting the activation of the Union mechanism to a 90-day period (unless otherwise justified) have been included in order to clarify the scope and to encourage the use of the means in the immediate reaction.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the financial envelope for the implementation of the Union Mechanism for the period covered by the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 is EUR 368.4 million. This proposal seeks a total overall increase in the UCPM financial envelope for the period 2018-2020 of EUR 280 million .