The European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) co-organised six repatriation flights on Wednesday and Thursday, supporting EU member states in safely returning European citizens from the Middle East to Bulgaria, Italy, Austria and Slovakia. Cyprus is among the member states that have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
According to a European Commission announcement, additional repatriation flights are planned in the coming days as more member states activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Coordination of repatriation operations
The European Commission said it is taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of European citizens, supporting member states in coordinating repatriation flights from the Middle East.
Priority is being given to assisting member states and protecting European citizens who are stranded in the region so they can return safely to their home countries.
So far, ten member states have activated the mechanism: Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.
Role of the emergency response coordination centre
The Emergency Response Coordination Centre coordinates the logistical arrangements for flights offered by member states, while the European Commission remains in close contact with EU delegations and the consular authorities of member states in the region.
Financial support for repatriation flights
The European Commission may also cover part of the financial costs of repatriation flights, particularly when seats are offered to citizens of other member states.
Flights that allocate at least 30% of their seats to citizens of other EU countries can receive funding of up to 75% of eligible costs.
If no member state is able to assist a country requesting help to evacuate its citizens, the European Commission can organise flights through the rescEU mechanism, covering 100% of the costs.