The Commission establishes PreparEU, a group of 17 experts that includes Raed Arafat

The group will propose in spring 2027 ways to strengthen European disaster response capacities. A European firefighting fleet is one of the options to be examined; establishing the group does not approve new purchases or funding.

On October 30, the European Commission established the PreparEU advisory group, which will assess how the Union could respond better to disasters and major crises. Among its 17 members is Raed Arafat, Secretary of State in Romania. The experts will work independently, in their personal capacity, and are expected to present recommendations in spring 2027.

In brief

1.PreparEU brings together 11 specialists with leadership experience in civil protection and crisis management and six researchers. Raed Arafat is one of the members, without a mandate as a national representative within the group.

2.The experts will advise Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner Hadja Lahbib. The group has an advisory role, with no authority to command response operations.

3.The analysis will cover fires and other extreme phenomena, as well as technological and health risks and overlapping crises. The Commission mentions a possible European firefighting fleet among the options to be examined.

4.The first meeting is scheduled for early November 2026, while the recommendations are expected in spring 2027. The decision establishing the group applies until June 30, 2027.

5.Establishing PreparEU does not automatically create a new fleet, determine purchases, or allocate funds to Romania. The group will start from the existing capacities of the Member States and the European civil protection mechanism.

The Commission announced the group’s composition together with the decision establishing its mandate. The aim is to identify what additional means would be needed at European level when disasters exceed a state’s response capacity or affect several countries simultaneously.

Raed Arafat’s participation brings his experience in managing emergency situations to the group, but the decision clearly distinguishes between an expert and a government representative. All 17 members are appointed in their personal capacity and must act independently and in the public interest. They have obligations to declare their interests and are appointed for eight-month terms, which may be renewed.

PreparEU will advise Ursula von der Leyen and Hadja Lahbib, the Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management. The secretariat will be provided by the Commission service responsible for civil protection and humanitarian aid, DG ECHO. The group must organize at least four thematic meetings and present a final report with proposals and recommendations.

One of the directions announced by the Commission is the examination of a European firefighting fleet. This is an option for analysis, alongside other capacities that could be used in different types of crises. The legal decision establishes the experts’ general mandate; it does not contain an aircraft purchasing program, a budget for a new fleet, or a list of beneficiary countries.

The assessment will not be limited to fires. The experts will analyze natural, technological, and emerging risks, as well as situations in which several crises overlap. Response needs include emergency medical assistance, shelter for the population, communications, and the protection of critical infrastructure. The mandate includes better use of research, Earth observation, forecasts, and early-warning systems.

The starting point consists of the capacities already available through the EU civil protection mechanism and the rescEU reserve, together with national resources. The group must examine how these can be supplemented and how responsibilities are divided between the Union and the states, respecting solidarity and the principle that European intervention complements the national response.

The Commission justifies the initiative by the scale of recent interventions. According to its assessment, the European mechanism was activated in summer 2026 for fires in ten situations in Europe and two outside the continent, with 41 aircraft and 18 ground teams mobilized. These figures describe resources deployed in operations, not an inventory of a fleet entirely owned by the EU.

The first meeting is scheduled for early November. The recommendations due in spring 2027 are expected to underpin discussions on strengthening the European response. Until then, PreparEU’s mission is to formulate options, while any subsequent decision concerning the procurement, funding, or organization of new capacities will require its own approval framework.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/comisia-infiinteaza-prepareu-grupul-cu-17-experti-din-care-face-parte-si-raed-arafat