EU builds storage facility in Croatia for nuclear threat scenarios

(Patria) - Croatia is one of four EU member states that will host strategic reserves of materials and equipment in case of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, the European Commission announced.

The Commission is building strategic reserves of response capacities for such threats through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) to improve EU preparedness and response to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.

The Commission announced that three countries - Croatia, France and Poland - have joined Finland, and these four countries will host supplies worth a total of 545.6 million euros.

The reserves will include antidotes, antibiotics, vaccines, sedatives and prophylactic treatments, as well as specific CBRN response equipment such as detectors, decontamination kits and personal protective equipment (e.g., gas masks and protective suits).

The establishment of four storage facilities is the result of cross-sectoral cooperation between EU health authorities and civil protection bodies.

Once established, member states will be able to request the mobilisation of relevant supplies through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).

People may be exposed to CBRN agents due to unintentional disasters, such as leaks from chemical plants, incidents at nuclear power plants and the spread of infectious diseases, or due to intentional incidents, such as terrorist attacks, Hina reports.

The Commission notes that Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine has further highlighted the need for strategic stocks of available key medical countermeasures and CBRN response equipment to protect EU citizens, especially in the event of a CBRN attack or accident.