Questionnaire on Investment Priorities for Civil Preparedness and Publication

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

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID

OPERATIONS (ECHO)

The Director-General

Brussels

CORRESPONDENCE SLIP

Addressees: Directors-General for Civil Protection of the Member and Participating

States to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism

Subject: Questionnaire on Investment Priorities for Civil Preparedness and

Publication of the overview of disaster risk management and

preparedness funding tools across the EU on the Union Civil Protection

Knowledge Network platform

Dear Directors-General,

I am pleased to announce the launch of a questionnaire on civil preparedness

investment needs and priorities, as anticipated in the DGs meeting in Copenhagen on

18-20 November 2025.

Preparedness has been mainstreamed across several Commission proposals for the next

Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034, with multiple funding instruments

offering potential to strengthen national and collective EU preparedness.

To seize this opportunity, it is crucial to clearly define civil preparedness needs, priorities,

and investment rationale, particularly where EU investments could have the greatest

impact. This questionnaire provides an occasion to communicate your civil preparedness

investment needs and priorities at the EU level, and support DG ECHO to better advocate

for civil preparedness investments.

I invite you to complete the questionnaire by 30 January 2026 by accessing the

following link.

I would also like to inform you that DG ECHO has undertaken work to enhance knowledge

dissemination and facilitate access for civil protection authorities to the various EU disaster

risk management (DRM) and preparedness funding tools.

This work is closely linked to the ‘preparedness by design’ principle under the

Preparedness Union Strategy and aims to address requests made by Member States and

UCPM Participating States regarding challenges in accessing DRM and preparedness

funding, including unclear or complex information on eligibility and difficulties in

identifying the right tool for specific situations, project implementation, procurement,

reporting, etc.

2

Therefore, as a first step to address these issues, we have developed a consolidated

overview of funding tools for DRM and preparedness on the Union Civil Protection

Knowledge Network platform. This should serve as a one-stop shop covering all the EU

tools most relevant to finance DRM and preparedness, both technical assistance and

(physical) investments, under the current MFF. The catalogue developed will be kept

regularly updated, including the potential incorporation of any new instrument deemed

relevant from a DRM perspective.

You can access the consolidated overview through the following link.

In addition, we have created an online DRM and Preparedness Funding Community within

the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network platform. This community provides a

dedicated, secure space for discussion and exchange of experiences on DRM funding

among national civil protection authorities.

Should you have any further questions or request that other experts are invited to join the

Community, do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

Yours faithfully,

Maciej Popowski

Electronically signed

Electronically signed on 22/12/2025 11:39 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

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

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID

OPERATIONS (ECHO)

The Director-General

Brussels

CORRESPONDENCE SLIP

Addressees: Directors-General for Civil Protection of the Member and Participating

States to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism

Subject: Questionnaire on Investment Priorities for Civil Preparedness and

Publication of the overview of disaster risk management and

preparedness funding tools across the EU on the Union Civil Protection

Knowledge Network platform

Dear Directors-General,

I am pleased to announce the launch of a questionnaire on civil preparedness

investment needs and priorities, as anticipated in the DGs meeting in Copenhagen on

18-20 November 2025.

Preparedness has been mainstreamed across several Commission proposals for the next

Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034, with multiple funding instruments

offering potential to strengthen national and collective EU preparedness.

To seize this opportunity, it is crucial to clearly define civil preparedness needs, priorities,

and investment rationale, particularly where EU investments could have the greatest

impact. This questionnaire provides an occasion to communicate your civil preparedness

investment needs and priorities at the EU level, and support DG ECHO to better advocate

for civil preparedness investments.

I invite you to complete the questionnaire by 30 January 2026 by accessing the

following link.

I would also like to inform you that DG ECHO has undertaken work to enhance knowledge

dissemination and facilitate access for civil protection authorities to the various EU disaster

risk management (DRM) and preparedness funding tools.

This work is closely linked to the ‘preparedness by design’ principle under the

Preparedness Union Strategy and aims to address requests made by Member States and

UCPM Participating States regarding challenges in accessing DRM and preparedness

funding, including unclear or complex information on eligibility and difficulties in

identifying the right tool for specific situations, project implementation, procurement,

reporting, etc.

2

Therefore, as a first step to address these issues, we have developed a consolidated

overview of funding tools for DRM and preparedness on the Union Civil Protection

Knowledge Network platform. This should serve as a one-stop shop covering all the EU

tools most relevant to finance DRM and preparedness, both technical assistance and

(physical) investments, under the current MFF. The catalogue developed will be kept

regularly updated, including the potential incorporation of any new instrument deemed

relevant from a DRM perspective.

You can access the consolidated overview through the following link.

In addition, we have created an online DRM and Preparedness Funding Community within

the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network platform. This community provides a

dedicated, secure space for discussion and exchange of experiences on DRM funding

among national civil protection authorities.

Should you have any further questions or request that other experts are invited to join the

Community, do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected].

Yours faithfully,

Maciej Popowski

Electronically signed

Electronically signed on 22/12/2025 11:39 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121