On 22 November,  in response to a request for assistance launched by Icelandic authorities only two days prior, a team of experts from EU Member States (Finland, Germany, Italy) was deployed to Iceland under the umbrella of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

A state of emergency had been announced in parts of the country earlier this month, following an onset of strong seismic activity in the Reykjanes peninsula. EU MS experts are working alongside their local counterparts, engaging among other in the review and strengthening of response plans, review of equipment, and discussions on the possibilities of high capacity water pumping to cool flowing lava. The team reviewed plans for eventual large-scale evacuations, but also assessed which equipment and tools could be quickly provided by European partners in the event of an eruption close to critical infrastructure, such as power plants.

The team is working closely with the Icelandic Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, the Coast Guard, the Icelandic Meteorological Office, as well as engineers from the Svartsengi power plant, located in the affected area. In the course of their mission, they also held meetings with the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Infrastructure, as well as with resident EU Ambassadors.



The EU and Iceland are #StrongerTogether.