The EU Civil Protection Mechanism: an instrument of response in the event of a disaster

At present there is no universal and comprehensive legally binding set of regulations to properly govern the international response to large-scale disasters. In particular, the international legal framework does not clarify neither whether the affected State has an obligation to seek for assistance when the scale of the disaster clearly extends beyond its capacities nor whether third States are obliged to offer and provide assistance beyond that provided by NGOs and international organizations. Against this background, it is noteworthy the increasing interest of the Union in disaster management issues and in particular in civil protection matters. Purpose of the present contribution is to investigate how the functioning of the new EU Civil Protection Mechanism and its interaction with the content of Article 222 TFEU – that introduces an obligation on Member States to assist each other in case of a disaster – could influence the action of EU Member States in the event of serious events.