Created in March, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the RescEU strategic reserve of medical equipment is gaining momentum, with 4 new EU Member States empowered to purchase equipment, house stocks and, in the future, help EU countries respond to any large-scale emergency beyond their capabilities.
Following talks with the European Commission, Denmark, Greece, Hungary and Sweden have now joined Germany and Romania as countries holding the medical stocks (see EUROPE 12479/10), announced the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, on Tuesday 22 September.
Currently, RescEU has 1 million FFP2 and FFP3 masks in stock. “With winter approaching and coronavirus cases increasing across Europe, building up stocks of critical medical equipment is crucial. With the further host states, rescEU is stepping up a gear”, the Commissioner announced to the press.
countries will therefore be able to build a common pool of equipment to be distributed throughout the EU where the most urgent needs arise, in the event of a health emergency or if national health systems become overwhelmed.
The idea is to avoid, at all costs, a repeat of the painful experience of late February, when Italy was stranded for weeks after requesting help, with most Member States facing equipment shortages at the time.
This in no way relieves the Member States of their responsibility to prepare and does not absolve them of their responsibilities, since civil protection falls under domestic jurisdiction. “We are asking them to increase their capacity”, Lenarčič said.
A financing agreement has been signed with the six countries whose purchases and storage costs are 100% financed by the Commission. The distribution, free of charge, of the required equipment will be based on objective criteria such as the seriousness of the crisis, but also on the obligation of Member States to build up their own stocks.
RescEU’s equipment (masks, protective gloves, respirators) is intended for frontline workers - medical personnel, civil protection forces, police forces - because “this is where the weaknesses were spotted”, the commissioner said.
He noted that he was counting on the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to agree on the strengthening of the Civil Protection Mechanism and its RescEU reserves, as proposed by the Commission (see EUROPE 12552/16).
hopes that the reinforced budget of RescEU, which was capped at €3 billion by the European Council in the draft EU multi-annual financial framework 2021-2027, will be supported. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)