Lost in Translation?

The European Union adopted a Declaration on Solidarity Against Terrorism (’the Solidarity Declaration’) after the bombings in Madrid 2004. In the Declaration the EU Member States commit themselves to assist each other in a spirit of solidarity should they be the object of a terrorist attack. How effective the Solidarity Declaration will be in practice very much depends on to what extent Member States will make their resources available. One central capacity that could be requested in case the Declaration will be activated is national civil protection resources. Such resources can be coordinated through the EU civil protection mechanism that was introduced in 2001, and that can be used in times of emergencies. The question is how prepared the Member States are for European civil protection?