"Over the last two years the European Union has taken a range of steps to enhance the way it deals with international crises and natural disasters. In addittion to a substantial increases in EU funding, there is closer cooperation between the Commission, other EU institutions, EU Member States, NGOs and the think tank community in Europe and beyond. New ways of acting faster on the basis of early warning have been developed. This reportage looks at the way this is happening in the field, in particular through the EU's EUR 2 billion Instrument for Stability (2007-2013). Reports on 12 different countries feature interviews, photographs by renowned photographers, and background information."--