The tools are there to act in case of so-called CBRN events. These are chemical, biological or radiological attacks, or a nuclear disaster. They also serve as preparation for risky situations.
The money will also be used to train staff. The aim is to ensure that the teams are operable across Europe and can be deployed anywhere on the continent.
The EU is building up all sorts of stocks that can be used in case of public health emergencies. For example, there are storage places in various countries for protective clothing, disinfectants or respiratory equipment for hospitals.
The stocks fall under a Brussels-funded program called rescEU. In case of emergency, European countries can call on that programme. For example, the EU also has joint fire-fighting aircraft that can be used to deal with forest fires.
