Croatia, France and Poland to host CBRN reserves
Croatia, France, and Poland have joined Finland in hosting the rescEU stockpiles worth in total €545.6 million.
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To improve the EU preparedness and response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, the Commission is building strategic reserves of response capacities through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). Today, Croatia, France, and Poland have joined Finland in hosting the rescEU stockpiles worth in total €545.6 million.
The reserves will include antidotes, antibiotics, vaccines, sedatives, and prophylactic treatments and specific CBRN response equipment, such as detectors and decontamination supplies and personal protective equipment (e.g., gas masks and protection suits).
The establishment of the stockpiles represent a cross-sectoral cooperation between the EU's health and civil protection authorities. Member States will be able to request the mobilisation of relevant stock via the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
I thank all four Member States for their commitment to strengthening the EU’s CBRN resilience. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine points very clearly to the need to enhance the EU preparedness to CBRN risks by securing an adequate and effective response at EU level under rescEU.
In parallel, the Commission has just launched an additional call for proposals for a total value of €636 million focusing this time on the response to pathogens with pandemic potential, CBRN threats and antimicrobial resistance. The deadline for Member and Participating States to apply is 11 May 2023. More information on this call will be provided shortly.
The full article appears on the DG ECHO website.