Finland delivers assistance from EU strategic stockpile to Ukraine
Finland has sent material assistance to Ukraine from the EU-funded rescEU strategic stockpile for the third time. The deployment from Finland included supplies to respond to chemical, biological and radiological threats, as well as medical items.
The need for assistance stems from the wide-ranging risks caused by Russia’s full-scale war of aggression, which Ukrainian authorities must be prepared to address. Deployment was part of broader EU support for Ukraine.
Emergency stockpiles are shared EU reserves
There are two rescEU stockpiles in Finland, that include items for a total value of EUR 305 million. Of these, rescEU CBRN provides items for detecting, preventing and protecting people against chemical (C), biological (B), radiological (R) and nuclear (N) threats and hazardous situations, while rescEU Medical provides medical items, medicinal products and devices for measuring the radioactivity of persons and foodstuffs. The medical stockpiles were created to respond to cross-border health emergencies, such as pandemics.
Stockpile maintenance and the procurement of supplies are carried out by a consortium under the leadership of the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. The consortium members are the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the National Emergency Supply Agency, and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The Ministry of the Interior coordinates the projects managing the rescEU strategic reserves in Finland and is the national competent authority of the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
The rescEU stockpiles are shared strategic reserves funded by the EU. They are deployed after a decision by the European Commission, when a country has insufficient resources to cope with a specific situation. The stockpiles are primarily intended for the EU Member States. However, they can be made available to ten other countries that participate in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. This group largely consists of the EU's neighbouring countries, such as Ukraine. Dispatching items from the rescEU stockpiles requires seamless cooperation between the requesting country, the sending country and the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
Inquiries:
Tarja Rantala, Project Manager, tel. +358 295 488 372, [email protected]
Ilona Hatakka, Project Manager, tel. +358 295 488 224, [email protected]
