Thursday, 5 January 2012
Improved risk management at state level part of EC disaster plan
The European Commission has proposed legislation to strengthen European cooperation in civil protection that it says will provide a more 'efficient, effective and rapid' response to disasters as well as enhanced prevention and preparedness actions including improved risk management by member states.
Kristalina Georgieva
The Commission said that the proposals will allow Europe to move beyond the current system of ad hoc coordination to one where assistance is pre-planned and where delivery can be guaranteed wherever a disaster strikes.
"One of the key proposals is the establishment of a voluntary pool of member states' specialised teams and equipment that will be available for immediate deployment as part of a collective European response," said Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
"Equally important is that this legislation takes civil protection policy beyond disaster response and places a much greater emphasis on disaster prevention and risk management. Our intention is that these proposals will lay the foundations of a comprehensive disaster management policy for the European Union."
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To manage the new arrangements an Emergency Response Centre (ERC) will be established, designed to provide a 'round-the-clock' service to deliver more effective EU coordination when disasters hit and ensure that member states remain fully informed at all times to improve the delivery of help, explained the EC.
The Commission also said that it wants to encourage greater cooperation on the advance planning of European disaster response operations by, among other measures, the 'mapping' of member states' assets, drawing up contingency plans as well as improving risk management planning. It said it would 'look at' providing funding to fill any identified gaps and proposes to increase investment in joint training and cross-border exercises. Transport arrangements will also be streamlined to guarantee the immediate deployment of EU assistance, said the Commission.
The EU has two main instruments at its disposal to provide a first response to disasters: humanitarian aid and civil protection. The Treaty of Lisbon states that: "The Union shall encourage cooperation between member states in order to improve the effectiveness of systems for preventing and protecting against natural or man-made disasters."
In October 2010 the Commission presented a plan entitled: Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance. In this plan it outlined its vision for a faster and more efficient EU response to disasters. These suggestions received the political support of the member states and the European Parliament and the EC said that the latest proposal for a revision of EU civil protection legislation builds on those ideas.
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