EUAA offers different kinds of tailor-made assistance to Member States.
When a need arises, a structured needs assessment is initiated by EUAA, including through dialogue and consultations with the Member State concerned, in view of jointly defining possible assistance measures. Such measures, as well as means to implement them, are then detailed in an Operational Plan, an agreed document binding both the Agency and the Member State concerned as well as participating Member States. Such plans are normally developed to provide support to Member States whose asylum and/or reception systems are under disproportionate pressure, when a Member State is facing disproportionate migratory challenge, or to support in the implementation of Member State’s obligation under the CEAS. Along with immediate, direct assistance to address the situation, including with equipment and support personnel, the operational plan will often also include activities to strengthen the capacities of the Member State’s reception and asylum systems, in view of the temporary nature of EUAA’s direct support. To this effect, operational and technical assistance will be delivered in a planned, phased and sustainable manner, through the deployment of Asylum Support Teams, working tools and needed equipment.
An Operational Plan is a formal document stemming from the agreement set out by the Executive Director and the Member State in need of assistance. The complete list of plans is available in our archive of Operations.
In general, the Operating plan lays down details about the conditions for deployment of asylum support teams and other organisational aspects for the delivery of the EUAA operational and technical assistance:
- An overview of the Member State situation that is requesting the EUAA’s support;
- A set of operational objectives and targets, the expected duration of the teams' deployment, its location(s) and its composition;
- A description of capacity-building activities related to the operational and technical assistance provided
- A summary of the tasks, instructions, responsibilities and necessary information and equipment for team members
- Information on reporting and evaluation of the activities
The Unit coordinates the Agency’s first response and preparedness plans for the provision of a predictable, effective, efficient and streamlined approach to operationally support asylum and reception systems across MS.
In particular, the Unit is responsible for the establishment and operationalization of the Agency’s first operational response capacity and contributes, upon approved request from a Member State, to the improved management of increased flows and pressure to Member State’s asylum and reception systems.
The Unit consists of two sectors:
- First Response Sector
- Preparedness Sector