Five answers about the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

Even though it represents assistance for countries facing some major or minor setback, the assistance provided by the mechanism does not always go smoothly, with experts interviewed by Observador pointing out flaws in the delay, the lack of preparation of the requesting countries and, sometimes, even the lack of alternatives.

Experts testify that the time it takes from the time the request is made until the air resources (in this case) help fight the flames varies depending on different variables: whether it comes from far away, whether the response is swift, and even the type of aircraft.

The example given is the Swedish Fireboss (which was in service in Bulgaria), which, because they carried only the pilot and had to make more stops on the way to Portugal due to the limit of consecutive flight hours. This is not the case with Canadair aircraft, which can carry more crews and rotate between them. However, aircraft can often be affected by air traffic controller strikes, for example.

When asked about the matter, a European Commission spokesperson explained that "assistance can be mobilized within hours, depending on availability, logistics and the type of help requested."

Civil Protection identifies a need and, because international requests are involved, suggests activating the mechanism to the government. Once activated, the request is submitted to the Emergency Response Coordination Center—from there, it's "a swift process," says a source familiar with the method. Donor countries demonstrate responsiveness; the recipient assesses the proposed donations and, if they are useful, accepts them. Once the process is complete, videoconferences are held to discuss details.

The entire process can be as quick as a dozen hours or stretch to almost 96 hours, as was the case with the Firebosses who visited Portugal. Even with the rigor of the process, there are flaws. "It's happened that a country accepted a request without verifying whether these resources actually made sense in the scenario presented. The planes made the trip, and when they arrived, it was realized they wouldn't be useful," after which time, money, and, most importantly, rapid response capacity had already been lost.

To circumvent this delay, states can always resort to bilateral agreements (as Portugal did this summer with Morocco). "Bilateral protocols are direct agreements between us and the foreign country. They allow us to activate immediately, from government to government. It's more immediate, faster," José Carvalho da Silva, of the Portuguese Association of Security and Civil Protection Technicians, told Observador.

Yet, another problem arises with the mechanism currently in place by the European Council. At a time when weather conditions are worsening across Europe as a whole—and when fires are no longer exclusive to southern countries—another question arises.

"The mechanism works well within a logic of asymmetric risk. Not within a logic like this year, when all of Europe was under enormous pressure," an expert tells Observador. This means that when several countries are simultaneously dealing with the same problems, it becomes difficult to help everyone at the same time. Resources are limited, and the blanket isn't enough to cover both heads and feet. In the Portuguese case, if Sweden hadn't been the only country to initially offer the planes, there would have been no alternative.

Therefore, the European Council is exploring a way to circumvent this problem and find a solution to ensure that countries always have more resources. This option could involve providing financial assistance, rather than operational assistance, so that states themselves can acquire the necessary resources, exceptionally with EU support.