Joint EU reserve: rescEU

rescEU stockpiles in Finland

Work to establish the first rescEU stockpile in Finland, i.e. the rescEU CBRN Stockpile, began in 2023. The materials stored in the stockpile are used to prepare for chemical (C), biological (B), radiological (R) and nuclear (N) threats. 

Creation of the second rescEU stockpile (rescEU Medical) in Finland began in 2024. This project stockpiles medical materials and medicines. 

The rescEU stockpiles in Finland are intended for Member States and countries that have joined the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in situations where the requesting country’s internal resources are insufficient to respond to a crisis or emergency.  The materials must be ready for delivery to a disaster or crisis area within 12 hours of an offer of assistance being accepted. 

The European Commission covers all the establishing and maintenance costs of the stockpiles. Finland’s two stockpiles have a total value of nearly EUR 305 million.  Funding for these projects will continue until the end of 2028.

In Finland, the projects are being carried out by a consortium involving the Ministry of the Interior, 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. 

rescEU CBRN Stockpile

The materials acquired for the CBRN stockpiles are used to prepare for chemical (C), biological (B), radiological (R) and nuclear (N) threats.

The stockpiles contain protective equipment such as overalls, face masks, gloves, footwear, protective eyewear and helmets. They also include chemical and radiation measuring equipment and testing kits for identifying biological material. A significant proportion of the materials consists of medicinal products needed in CBRN situations. The stockpiles also contain vaccines for various serious infectious diseases. 

Materials stored in the CBRN stockpiles are intended for use by both first responders and the civilian population in different CBRN incidents and accidents, such as chemical or nuclear power plant accidents, terrorist attacks or cross-border epidemics.

The first materials have been ready for deployment since January 2024. The capacity has been on standby since 2025, although additional procurements are being made continuously. 

The project’s total costs amount to EUR 242 million. The project is significant in scale and constitutes the first strategic CBRN capacity in Europe.

Project managers:
Tarja Rantala, Ministry of the Interior
Pertti Kelloniemi, Ministry of the Interior

rescEU Medical Stockpile 

The rescEU Medical project is establishing stockpiles of medical materials and medicines, focusing on the treatment of trauma patients in mass casualty incidents. These include large-scale terrorist attacks, armed conflicts or major natural disasters such as earthquakes. Additionally, the capacity strengthens preparedness for cross-border health emergencies such as pandemics and CBRN threats.

The stockpiles will include healthcare materials such as small medical devices, surgical instruments and emergency medical supplies. They will also include medicinal products needed in emergency and intensive care, and antimicrobials used to reduce the public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. Thyroid and food monitors will complement the measurement equipment stockpiled in the CBRN project. Food monitors are used to measure radioactivity levels in food following a nuclear power plant accident. The materials are mainly intended for use by healthcare professionals. 

The first medical materials have been prepared for deployment step by step since early 2025. Most of the stored materials will be ready by the end of April 2026. The stockpiles will continue to be supplemented significantly as further procurements are made. The project will continue until the end of 2028. The project’s total costs amount to EUR 63 million.

Project managers:
Ilona Hatakka, Ministry of the Interior
Piia Ollila, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

EU Civil Protection Mechanism

In recent years, the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism has become one of the central instruments of international assistance. Its purpose is to improve disaster preparedness and response.

rescEU capacities are provided to requesting countries through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. In addition to the EU Member States, several EU neighbours have joined the mechanism. The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) coordinates assistance measures, and the Commission decides which country receives assistance and from which country’s rescEU stockpile it is provided.

Countries may request assistance if the scale of an emergency or disaster exceeds their response capacity. Assistance may take the form of specialised rescue teams or expert and material assistance. Materials must be ready for delivery within 12 hours of an offer of assistance being accepted.

rescEU capacities are fully funded by the EU. Several Member States manage rescEU capacities, the best known of which is the wildfire air fleet. There are also medical stockpiles across Europe for rapidly spreading infectious diseases and medical evacuation equipment. 

Finland’s rescEU CBRN and Medical Stockpiles are the newest additions to the rescEU family. A total of 21 Member States maintain 21 CBRN and/or medical stockpiles. 

See the locations of the rescEU reserves 

Read more about the Union Civil Protection Mechanism on the EU Commission website 

Emergency Services Academy Finland as a partner

The Emergency Services Academy in Kuopio is a key partner in rescEU projects. Together with the Emergency Services Academy, the projects have trained 66 experts who can, when necessary, be deployed alongside the materials to the recipient country to advise end users on the safe use of the stored materials and equipment.

Experts from the rescue services and the healthcare and social welfare sector, working in various parts of Finland, also participate in training their colleagues across Finland. For this purpose, a mobile training container with materials and equipment from Finland's rescEU stockpiles has been built together with the Emergency Services Academy. Training events have been organised in the wellbeing services counties since 2025, and the tour will continue at least until the end of 2028. 

As part of the rescEU project, the Emergency Services Academy will conduct a survey in 2025–2026 to assess the capabilities of rescue departments in countering CBRN threats. The survey will examine both the material and human factors of the capabilities essential for countering CBRN incidents and threats.

The aim is to provide an up-to-date overview of the rescue departments' equipment and personnel competence, and their ability to provide and receive material assistance both nationally and internationally.