In view of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, the EU Commission is preparing for possible power cuts and other emergencies within the European Union.
"It is quite possible that disaster relief will also be needed within the EU," said the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, the editorial network Germany (RND).
In this case, the EU Commission could coordinate and forward aid under its civil protection program.
"When only a small number of member states are affected by an incident such as a blackout, other EU states can supply power generators through us, as happens during natural disasters," said the commissioner.
If a large number of countries were affected at the same time, so that EU countries would have to cap their emergency aid deliveries to other member states, the Commission could meet the needs from its strategic reserve.
This reserve for emergencies includes firefighting aircraft, generators, water pumps and fuel, but also medical equipment and now medicine, Lenarcic told the RND.
"Even before the war, we prepared ourselves for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies," says Lenarcic.
All EU member states, but also all other countries in the world, can apply to the EU program for civil protection for help in the event of forest fires, floods, earthquakes and similar acute crises.