# Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an Instrument for Stability, Article 3: Assistance in response to situations of crisis or emerging crisis

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. Community technical and financial assistance in pursuit of the specific aims set out in point (a) of Article 1(2) may be undertaken in response to a situation of urgency, crisis or emerging crisis, a situation posing a threat to democracy, law and order, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, or the security and safety of individuals, or a situation threatening to escalate into armed conflict or severely to destabilise the third country or countries concerned. Such measures may also address situations where the Community has invoked the essential elements clauses of international Agreements in order to suspend, partially or totally, cooperation with third countries.
2. Technical and financial assistance referred to in paragraph 1 shall cover the following areas:
(a) support, through the provision of technical and logistical assistance, for the efforts undertaken by international and regional organisations, state and non-state actors in promoting confidence-building, mediation, dialogue and reconciliation;
(b) support for the establishment and the functioning of interim administrations mandated in accordance with international law;
(c) support for the development of democratic, pluralistic state institutions, including measures to enhance the role of women in such institutions, effective civilian administration and related legal frameworks at national and local level, an independent judiciary, good governance and law and order, including non-military technical cooperation to strengthen overall civilian control, and oversight over the security system and measures to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and judicial authorities involved in the fight against the illicit trafficking of people, drugs, firearms and explosive materials;
(d) support for international criminal tribunals and ad hoc national tribunals, truth and reconciliation commissions, and mechanisms for the legal settlement of human rights claims and the assertion and adjudication of property rights, established in accordance with international human rights and rule of law standards;
(e) support for measures necessary to start the rehabilitation and reconstruction of key infrastructure, housing, public buildings and economic assets, as well as essential productive capacity, and for the re-starting of economic activity and the generation of employment and the establishment of the minimum conditions necessary for sustainable social development;
(f) support for civilian measures related to the demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants into civil society, and where appropriate their repatriation, as well as measures to address the situation of child soldiers and female combatants;
(g) support for measures to mitigate the social effects of restructuring of the armed forces;
(h) support for measures to address, within the framework of Community cooperation policies and their objectives, the socio-economic impact on the civilian population of anti-personnel landmines, unexploded ordnance or explosive remnants of war; activities financed under this Regulation shall cover risk education, victim assistance, mine detection and clearance and, in conjunction therewith, stockpile destruction;
(i) support for measures to address, within the framework of Community cooperation policies and their objectives, the impact on the civilian population of the illicit use of and access to firearms; such support shall be limited to survey activities, victim assistance, raising public awareness and the development of legal and administrative expertise and good practice.
Assistance shall be provided only to the extent necessary to re-establish the conditions for social and economic development of the populations concerned, in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis as referred to in paragraph 1. It shall not include support for measures to combat the proliferation of arms;
(j) support for measures to ensure that the specific needs of women and children in crisis and conflict situations, including their exposure to gender-based violence, are adequately met;
(k) support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of armed conflict, including measures to address the specific needs of women and children;
(l) support for measures to promote and defend respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, and the related international instruments;
(m) support for socio-economic measures to promote equitable access to and transparent management of natural resources in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis;
(n) support for socio-economic measures to address the impact of sudden population movements, including measures addressing the needs of host communities in a situation of crisis or emerging crisis;
(o) support for measures to support the development and organisation of civil society and its participation in the political process, including measures to enhance the role of women in such processes and measures to promote independent, pluralist and professional media;
(p) support for measures in response to natural or man-made disasters and threats to public health in the absence of, or to complement, Community humanitarian assistance.
3. In the exceptional and unforeseen situations referred to in paragraph 1, the Community may also provide technical and financial assistance not expressly covered by the specific areas of assistance set out in paragraph 2. Such assistance shall be limited to Exceptional Assistance Measures as referred to in Article 6(2), which:
fall within the general scope and specific aims set out in Article 1(a), and
are limited in duration to the period laid down in Article 6(2), and
would normally be eligible under the other Community instruments for external assistance, but which, in accordance with Article 2, should be addressed through this Regulation because of the need to respond rapidly to a situation of crisis or emerging crisis.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2006/1717/article/3 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2006-1717/article-3
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.