EU integrated political crisis response (IPCR) arrangements

SUMMARY OF:

Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1993 on the EU integrated political crisis response arrangements

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

It lays down arrangements for the European Union (EU) integrated political crisis response (IPCR). These strengthen the EU’s ability to take rapid political decisions when facing major internal or external crises* with a wide-ranging impact or political significance, whether they originate inside or outside the EU. Crises for which IPCR has been activated have as a rule been cross-sectoral in nature.

KEY POINTS

The IPCR:

supports rapid and coordinated decision-making at the EU political level for major and complex crises;
is designed to be flexible and scalable, providing the Council of the European Union with the necessary means to decide on the handling of the EU’s response;
is under the political and strategic control of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union;
has two modes of activation, depending on the gravity of the situation:
- information sharing – to establish a clear, integrated picture of the situation and prepare the ground for a possible full activation,
- full activation – to support overall strategic coordination by preparing response measures;
can also function in monitoring mode, in the event of an emerging or abating crisis without IPCR activation, to enable the sharing of information and existing reports;
supports informed decision-making in the Council and effective EU political coordination by using the following ‘supporting elements’:
- informal roundtable discussions aimed at informing political decision-making, with relevant participants as decided by the Presidency,
- integrated situational awareness and analysis (ISAA) reports, to inform discussions in IPCR roundtables and provide decision-makers with a clear common picture of the situation, prepared by the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS),
- a dedicated IPCR web platform to exchange and gather information between relevant stakeholders, and restricted to those stakeholders,
- a central 24/7 contact point within the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), to ensure 24/7 liaison with key actors;
ensures that the supporting elements:
- are tailored to political decision-makers’ needs,
- cover all the key sectors affected by the crisis,
- bring the different dimensions together coherently,
- have the appropriate level of detail.

The decision to activate or deactivate the IPCR is the prerogative of the Presidency, with certain exceptions. The IPCR is automatically activated in full mode when an EU Member State invokes the solidarity clause (Article 222 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). The decision to activate the IPCR in information-sharing mode can also be taken by the General Secretariat of the Council, the Commission and the EEAS, in consultation with the Presidency.

The Presidency:

has the prerogative of activating, deactivating, escalating and de-escalating the IPCR;
consults and receives advice as appropriate from Member States, the Council Secretariat, the Commission, the EEAS, EU agencies and relevant stakeholders and organisations;
develops and updates existing IPCR standard operating procedures;
informs the Secretary-General of the Council and the European Parliament immediately when it activates the IPCR; the Council Secretariat then informs the Commission and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Final provisions require:

development of a preparedness policy with accompanying measures and a communication strategy framework;
a review of the arrangements within 12 months of their deactivation to identify and address any lessons learned.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

It has applied since 18 December 2018.

BACKGROUND

After the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the EU realised it needed a framework to coordinate its response to major crises. The Council created this with the adoption of the IPCR arrangements on 25 June 2013.

The IPCR is currently activated in full mode for the situation in the Middle East, for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and for migration matters. As of 2 May 2023, the IPCR activations for COVID-19 and the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye have been deactivated and switched to monitoring mode.

For further information, see:

The integration political crisis response – IPCR arrangements (Council of the European Union)
Crisis management and response (European Union External Action Service).

KEY TERMS

Crisis. A situation of such wide-ranging impact or political significance that the EU must take rapid decisions.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1993 of 11 December 2018 on the EU Integrated Political Crisis Response Arrangements (OJ L 320, 17.12.2018, pp. 28–34).