Summary: March 25, 2004: Civil Protection: Commission wants to upgrade the EU's capacity to respond to major disasters (Brussels)
Two weeks after the bomb attacks in Madrid, and on the eve of the European Council which will discuss Europe's response to terrorism, the European Commission has set out its ideas on how to reinforce Europe's civil protection capacities. Not only terrorist attacks, but also recent natural disasters like floods and forest fires in Europe, and the earthquakes in Algeria, Iran and Morocco, have shown the need for a more concerted and focused EU-wide approach to civil protection. No Member State
can respond effectively on its own to every disaster. Therefore the European civil protection capacity to respond to natural disasters as well as terrorist attacks must be improved.
In a Communication adopted today, the Commission suggests action on three fronts. Firstly, Member States must be made more aware of and exploit more effectively existing EU-wide expertise and resources, both human and technological, which can be mobilised rapidly in response to an emergency situation. Secondly, national and EU-wide response capability needs to be built up by increased training of expert intervention teams. In this way, available resources can be better used and expert teams
from across the EU can work hand in hand to protect citizens more effectively on site as a truly European civil protection force. Thirdly, the Commission underlines the need for more funds to be made available to support the EU's overall response capability.
Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said: "The reality of today has shown the crucial importance of having an efficient, rapid and co-ordinated response capability in the event of a natural or man-made disaster or a terrorist attack. In addition, the devastating terrorist attack in Spain reinforces the need to improve European capacities in order to offer immediate assistance in case of disaster and thereby give a tangible sign of European solidarity. The EU Civil Protection
Mechanism has intervened in all major disasters since 2002. It has already become established as a very important part of civil protection response capacity at EU level. But the experience gained has shown that more can be done. Only by increasing specialised skills, working closely together, pooling resources and increasing funding can the EU be better prepared to protect citizens when a disaster strikes inside as well as outside of the Union".
Regional Policy Commissioner Michael Barnier said: "Citizens expect European solidarity with the victims of natural disasters and terrorist attacks, certainly when it is beyond the immediate capacity of the affected country to provide an adequate response. Europe must show solidarity not only in words but also in deeds. Interventions of European civil protection experts will express this solidarity already proposed in the draft Constitution."
The EU's Civil Protection Mechanism
The EU's Civil Protection Mechanism was adopted in 2001 to improve the EU's response capacity to major disasters. Its main role is to coordinate assistance from participating countries [1]. The September 11 attacks in the USA gave added significance and relevance to the role of the Mechanism. It has since intervened in all major disasters. The floods in Central and Eastern Europe in the summer of 2002 were followed by a heat wave and extensive forest fires in southern Europe in the summer of
2003. In December 2003, France was hit by severe flooding. All these events have resulted in difficult social, economic, and environmental consequences. They have led to loss of life and major costs for national budgets. During the same period, there have been a number of earthquakes and several manmade disasters [2], some of them at sea, such as the Prestige oil spill. They have all shown that the Civil Protection Mechanism is an effective tool for participating countries to increase their
national civil protection capabilities.
What needs to be done?
The Commission, in its Communication adopted today [3], highlights its determination to encourage increased use and streamlining of the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism. It emphasises that the current system is not operating as efficiently as it could and that more needs to be done to improve the EU's response capability. In particular, three areas need improved action: better sharing of information on available resources; more training of intervention teams and increased financing to assist
with transportation costs and other early costs.
Information about resources and expertise: The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) - the operational heart of the Civil Protection Mechanism - is often insufficiently aware of the extent of expertise and resources available across the EU. Because of the highly specialised equipment needed to fight disasters, it is neither feasible nor practicable for individual Member States to be prepared for each and every eventuality. France for example needed large numbers of high capacity pumps
to deal with the December 2003 floods, but may not need them again - while another country might. This means that each and every Member State must know what is available in other countries, whether it is enough and whether it can be mobilised swiftly. The Commission calls upon Member States to provide detailed inventories of all available resources and expertise, so that these can be shared as part of a more co-ordinated approach to responding to disasters.
Training: In order to be fully efficient when operating under the EU umbrella, training and exercises are necessary. Intervening abroad or including foreign teams in national contingency plans are real logistical challenges. It is important that intervention teams from different Member States are used to working together.
Financing: It is not enough to know what is available in the different countries. The intervention means and teams have to be brought swiftly to where they are needed. More funding is needed to meet transport and other costs incurred soon after a disaster occurs.
Such funding should be made available for handling disasters both inside and outside the EU. The Commission's funding proposal would be included in its post-2006 financial plan.
Next steps
The Commission invites the European Parliament and the Council to endorse its proposals. In the light of Parliament's and Council's reactions, the Commission might propose a modification to the Council Decision establishing the Civil Protection mechanism. A conference "The Solidarity Fund and the EU's immediate response to disasters" will be held in mid-June 2004 to exchange views on the issues raised by the Commission.
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