WARSAW, Poland –  A new EU-backed institution is being created to speed help to democracy activists in crisis situations like the Arab Spring uprisings, channeling funds fast when they can have the most impact.

The European Endowment for Democracy is a Brussels-based foundation that will start this summer under the leadership of a Polish diplomat, Jerzy Pomianowski.

He described its mission in an interview with The Associated Press, saying: "There is a gap to be filled, and here is the answer."