Eligible actions

1. Emergency support under this Regulation shall provide a needs‐based emergency response, complementing the response of the affected Member States aimed at preserving life, preventing and alleviating human suffering, and maintaining human dignity, wherever the need arises as a result of a disaster referred to in Article 1(1). Without prejudice to the activation period as referred to in Article 2(1), emergency support may also be granted in view of addressing needs in the aftermath of a disaster or preventing its resurgence.

2. Emergency support, as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, may include any of the humanitarian aid actions which would be eligible for Union financing pursuant to Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/96, and may consequently encompass assistance, relief and, where necessary, protection operations to save and preserve life in disasters or in their immediate aftermath. It may also be used to finance any other expenditure directly related to the implementation of emergency support under this Regulation. In particular, emergency support may be used to finance the actions laid down in the Annex.

3. Without prejudice to paragraph 4, emergency support under this Regulation shall be granted and implemented in compliance with the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

4. The actions referred to in paragraph 2 shall be carried out by the Commission or by partner organisations selected by the Commission. The Commission may in particular select, as partner organisations, non‐governmental organisations, specialised services of Member States, national authorities and other public bodies, international organisations and their agencies and, where appropriate and necessary for the implementation of an action, other organisations and entities having the requisite expertise or active in the sectors relevant for disaster relief, such as private service providers, equipment manufacturers as well as scientists and research institutions. In doing so, the Commission shall maintain close cooperation with the affected Member State.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2020/521 of 14 April 2020 activating the emergency support under Regulation (EU) 2016/369, and amending its provisions taking into account the COVID‐19 outbreak ‘ANNEX Eligible actions