Union Civil Protection Mechanism
To ensure a fast, efficient collaboration and response between national civil protection organizations in such an event, the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) was established. In force since 2002, the UCPM has already proved its effectiveness in a large number of disasters inside and outside the European Union.
The UCPM objectives are to:
- Strengthen cooperation between the Union and Member States in the field of civil protection
- Improve effectiveness of prevention, preparedness and response to natural and man-made disasters
- Pool resources and civil protection capabilities of participating states that can be requested in the case of an emergency
The Exchange of Experts Program in civil protection is part of the UCPM training programme. It serves to improve the competence of civil protection response capacities in disaster situations and increase the effectiveness of joint operations.
