Brussels, 26/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the General Affairs Council adopted the Regulation establishing the Rapid Reaction Mechanism which is designed to implement actions of a civilian nature to preserve or reestablish, in real or nascent crisis situations, the conditions of stability required for the smooth running of the EU's aid, assistance and cooperation programmes with third countries. This Mechanism could be triggered by the Commission each time that, in the beneficiary countries concerned, a crisis situation emerges that could threaten public order, security and the safety of persons, or threaten to degenerate into armed conflict or threaten to destabilize the country, and if any situation is of a nature to harm the smooth running of Union programmes. The Commission will ensure, including on the ground, the actual coordination of actions undertaken in the framework of the Rapid Reaction Mechanism with the actions of Member States, in view of increasing the coherence of interventions, their complementary nature and their effectiveness.
The European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, welcomed the adoption of the regulation, stressing: "the new Rapid Reaction Mechanism will act as a catalyser, allowing us to mobilise resources within hour or, days rather than weeks or months". He added: "We will now be in a better position to organise and support the mobilisation of Member States civilian experts (in areas such as mine clearance, customs, mediation, training of police or judges)".
With a budget of 20 million euro in 2001 and 25 million in 2002, the Rapid Reaction Mechanism could be mobilised anywhere in the world and undertake different types of interventions set out in the new regulation.: human rights, elections observation, support for the media, border management, rehabilitation of administrations, reconstruction, mediation, etc.. The dividing line between this Mechanism and humanitarian intervention undertaken by the European Community's Humanitarian Office, lies in that "humanitarian action is focused on the individual. It seeks to preserve life and relieve humanitarian suffering. Interventions under the Mechanism are rather aimed at the preservation or reestablishment of the civic structures necessary for political, social and economic stability", the Commission stresses in a press release.