MEPs have backed plans to expand and refocus the EU’s civil protection mechanism for 2028 to 2034, including a bigger budget than the European Commission proposed.
The European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the next phase of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) on Thursday, it announced in a statement.
The scheme is the EU’s main tool for helping countries hit by disasters such as wildfires, floods or earthquakes using resources countries make available voluntarily, as well as assets bought jointly.
MEPs want total funding of €12.42 billion over seven years in current prices, compared with €10.68 billion proposed by the Commission.
They also proposed splitting the budget so that 40% is spent on civil protection, 40% on health emergencies and 20% kept as a flexible amount.
The Parliament said it wants a stronger focus on monitoring and “anticipation” measures such as vulnerability mapping and forward-looking climate projections, and it proposed using EU space capabilities for early warning systems.
Aerial firefighting fleet and health emergency support
MEPs also supported strengthening rescEU — the EU’s shared pool of emergency response assets — including an aerial forest-fire-fighting fleet that would be available from 2028, the Parliament said.
rescEU is designed to provide additional help when national resources are overwhelmed, it added.
The proposals include a “recovery readiness framework” so member states have clear mandates across different levels of government for coordinating recovery after disasters.
MEPs also called for volunteers to have a dedicated legal status covering insurance, recognition of qualifications and exemptions from some work-related constraints.
On health emergencies, the Parliament said the programme should help countries respond to serious cross-border health threats by stockpiling “medical countermeasures” such as personal protective equipment and active pharmaceutical ingredients, and by developing early warning systems.
It also backed extending EU support for cross-border cooperation between specialised care centres, cross-border medical teams, assessments of intensive care capacity and patient transfers between member states in overload situations.
The Parliament’s position was approved by 424 votes to 105, with 83 abstentions, and it is now ready to start talks with EU member states in the Council on the final law.
