EU Commission proposes boosting disaster unit role

The European Commission today proposed measures to boost its role to co-ordinate European Union relief operations in wake of natural or man-made disasters in Europe or abroad.

New plans include beefing up an early warning network for the 25-national governments ensuring they can respond quicker when requests for aid are made to the EU, as well as giving the EU head office the right to hire airlift to take aid to disaster zones if national governments are unable to.