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The old Serbian saying goes that tough going sorts out the men from the boys, and there is a similar English one saying that you know your friends in time of trouble. Along with other friends of Serbia, EU countries immediately came to Serbia’s help during May 2014 floods. Indeed more than 400 personnel from 14 Member States came here to save lives and pump out floodwater during the first days after the floods, working through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.