Letter concerning new funding opportunities for civil preparedness from cohesion policy funds

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

[email protected]

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID

OPERATIONS (ECHO)

The Director-General

Brussels ECHO.B.2/LI

Directors-General for Civil

Protection of the EU Member States

Dear Sir, / Dear Madam,

I am writing to inform you of the new funding opportunities for strengthening civil

preparedness that have become available under the recently revised cohesion policy legal

framework, adopted in September 2025.

In light of the unprecedented geopolitical instability and the need for the Union to ensure

its own defence and civil preparedness, cohesion policy funding can now be swiftly

mobilised to support investments in civil security.

Regulation (EU) 2025/19141 amends the European Regional Development Fund

(ERDF) and Cohesion Fund Regulations, allowing Member States to redirect existing

national allocations under these funds towards investments that enhance civil preparedness

and dual-use capacities. This can be done under two new specific objectives introduced

with the amendment:

3.3 Developing resilient defence infrastructure, prioritising that of dual-use nature,

including to foster military mobility in the Union, as well as enhancing civil

preparedness

5.4 Ensuring civil preparedness and resilience in all types of territories

Examples of investments that could be supported include:

• Development and testing of civil preparedness plans (including cross-border),

evacuation plans, corridors;

• Equipping public transport terminals (e.g. subway stations) to double as emergency

shelters;

• Logistical points for the distribution of emergency supplies (relief delivery facilities);

• Security measures for civil infrastructure, such as:

o Backup power supplies for critical mobility infrastructure,

1 Regulation (EU) 2025/1914 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2025 amending

Regulations (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic

challenges in the context of the mid-term review

2

o Civil communications systems: resilience of telecommunications and cyber

networks (functions and withstand attacks or disruptions),

o Traffic management systems (metros, rail, airports, traffic lights etc);

• (Field) hospital and medical emergency infrastructure and equipment;

• Civil protection equipment in peace time (e.g. firefighting equipment).

In parallel, Regulation (EU) 2025/19132, amending European Social Fund+ legal

framework, introduced financial incentives for Member States to create new programme

priorities dedicated to developing skills in civil preparedness, the defence industry

(including dual-use capabilities), and cybersecurity.

While the revision of the legal framework is not accompanied by additional EU funding,

it offers several incentives for Member States to reorient existing allocations towards

new civil preparedness priorities, depending on the implementation status of ongoing

programmes and the availability of uncommitted funds. These incentives and flexibilities

include higher co-financing rates, specific pre-financing arrangements, and a longer

implementation period (until end-2030), making such investments attractive to managing

authorities of cohesion policy programmes.

To benefit from these new opportunities, revised cohesion policy programmes must be

submitted to the Commission before the end of 2025, after which the Commission will

have a maximum of four months to approve the amended programmes.

Reprogramming discussions are already ongoing, and we therefore encourage you to

engage promptly with your national/regional counterparts managing cohesion policy

funds, to explore how civil preparedness priorities can be integrated into the revised

programmes. The list of managing authorities and programmes per Member State is

available at https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/in-your-country/programmes_en.

The Commission stands ready to assist you with identifying the right counterparts to

engage with nationally and to provide further guidance on this topic.

For related questions you can contact Hans-Ulrich Goessl, Head of Unit for Civil

Protection Policy in DG ECHO B2.

Yours faithfully,

[e-signed]

Maciej Popowski

2 Regulation (EU) 2025/1913 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2025 amending

Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) as regards specific

measures to address strategic challenges

3

Contact: [email protected]

Electronically signed on 16/10/2025 15:36 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

Saatja: <[email protected]>

Saadetud: 17.10.2025 12:12

Koopia: <[email protected]>

Teema: Letter concerning new funding opportunities for civil preparedness from cohesion policy

funds

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TÄHELEPANU! Tegemist on väljastpoolt asutust saabunud kirjaga. Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada!

Dear Sir, / Dear Madam,

I hope this email finds you well.

We are writing to inform you of the new funding opportunities for strengthening civil

preparedness that have become available under the recently revised cohesion policy legal

framework, adopted in September 2025.

Please refer to the letter attached.

Kind regards,

Eider MARTINEZ CORBACHO ECHO CP

European Commission

Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Directorate B. Strategy and Policy [email protected]

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

[email protected]

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID

OPERATIONS (ECHO)

The Director-General

Brussels ECHO.B.2/LI

Directors-General for Civil

Protection of the EU Member States

Dear Sir, / Dear Madam,

I am writing to inform you of the new funding opportunities for strengthening civil

preparedness that have become available under the recently revised cohesion policy legal

framework, adopted in September 2025.

In light of the unprecedented geopolitical instability and the need for the Union to ensure

its own defence and civil preparedness, cohesion policy funding can now be swiftly

mobilised to support investments in civil security.

Regulation (EU) 2025/19141 amends the European Regional Development Fund

(ERDF) and Cohesion Fund Regulations, allowing Member States to redirect existing

national allocations under these funds towards investments that enhance civil preparedness

and dual-use capacities. This can be done under two new specific objectives introduced

with the amendment:

3.3 Developing resilient defence infrastructure, prioritising that of dual-use nature,

including to foster military mobility in the Union, as well as enhancing civil

preparedness

5.4 Ensuring civil preparedness and resilience in all types of territories

Examples of investments that could be supported include:

• Development and testing of civil preparedness plans (including cross-border),

evacuation plans, corridors;

• Equipping public transport terminals (e.g. subway stations) to double as emergency

shelters;

• Logistical points for the distribution of emergency supplies (relief delivery facilities);

• Security measures for civil infrastructure, such as:

o Backup power supplies for critical mobility infrastructure,

1 Regulation (EU) 2025/1914 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2025 amending

Regulations (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic

challenges in the context of the mid-term review

2

o Civil communications systems: resilience of telecommunications and cyber

networks (functions and withstand attacks or disruptions),

o Traffic management systems (metros, rail, airports, traffic lights etc);

• (Field) hospital and medical emergency infrastructure and equipment;

• Civil protection equipment in peace time (e.g. firefighting equipment).

In parallel, Regulation (EU) 2025/19132, amending European Social Fund+ legal

framework, introduced financial incentives for Member States to create new programme

priorities dedicated to developing skills in civil preparedness, the defence industry

(including dual-use capabilities), and cybersecurity.

While the revision of the legal framework is not accompanied by additional EU funding,

it offers several incentives for Member States to reorient existing allocations towards

new civil preparedness priorities, depending on the implementation status of ongoing

programmes and the availability of uncommitted funds. These incentives and flexibilities

include higher co-financing rates, specific pre-financing arrangements, and a longer

implementation period (until end-2030), making such investments attractive to managing

authorities of cohesion policy programmes.

To benefit from these new opportunities, revised cohesion policy programmes must be

submitted to the Commission before the end of 2025, after which the Commission will

have a maximum of four months to approve the amended programmes.

Reprogramming discussions are already ongoing, and we therefore encourage you to

engage promptly with your national/regional counterparts managing cohesion policy

funds, to explore how civil preparedness priorities can be integrated into the revised

programmes. The list of managing authorities and programmes per Member State is

available at https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/in-your-country/programmes_en.

The Commission stands ready to assist you with identifying the right counterparts to

engage with nationally and to provide further guidance on this topic.

For related questions you can contact Hans-Ulrich Goessl, Head of Unit for Civil

Protection Policy in DG ECHO B2.

Yours faithfully,

[e-signed]

Maciej Popowski

2 Regulation (EU) 2025/1913 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2025 amending

Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) as regards specific

measures to address strategic challenges

3

Contact: [email protected]

Electronically signed on 16/10/2025 15:36 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121