Source: European Parliament
In the area of civil protection, Member States have the primary role in coordinating disaster response in their country, including search and rescue operations . In the event of a disaster that overwhelms national response capacities, countries can request assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM)[1]. In case of such request, the Emergency Response Cooperation Centre (ERCC) coordinates the support from other Member States and UCPM participating states, such as specialised equipment and response teams.
Under the guidelines of the United Nations advisory body International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, various technologies are utilised to identify the exact location of victims in search and rescue operations . Urban Search and Rescue teams rely on information provided by national authorities managing the overall response efforts.
So far, Member States have not expressed the need for an EU-wide web platform for missing persons as an area where EU support is sought. Relevant national authorities may however use the Cohesion Policy instruments[2] or various financing tools made available under UCPM, such as the Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness[3] call for proposals, or the Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management[4] call for proposals to test new ideas for disaster risk management applications or to carry out feasibility studies and draw technical specifications for tools, including Information technology (IT) platforms.
- [1] https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en.
- [2] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/what/investment-policy_en.
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/UCPM-2025-KAPP-PVPP?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502,31094503&frameworkProgramme=43298203&order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate.
- [4] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/UCPM-2025-TRACK1?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502,31094503&frameworkProgramme=43298203&order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate.