DG ENV A3 Civil Protection Unit ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm

EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION Together in the face of disaster DG ENV A3 Civil Protection Unit http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm

European civil protection cooperation History: • 1985 – first ministerial meeting • 1987 – a number of Council resolutions • 1997 – first CP Action Programme • 2001 – Community CP Mechanism established • 2007 – revised legal framework

European civil protection cooperation Community civil protection mechanism adopted on 8 November 2007 (2007/779/EC, Euratom) • Civil protection financial instrument adopted on 5 March 2007 (2007/162/EC, Euratom)

Preparedness – Overview 2001 legal basis: • Training courses • Simulation exercises • EU Exchange of experts system (http://www.exchangeofexperts.eu/) • Projects 2007 legal basis: • Early warning • Modules

Preparedness –Training courses • Some 600 experts already trained • Sub-contracted training centres in various locations Experts trained in EU civil protection can be deployed Exchange of experts programme

Preparedness –Simulation exercises What kind of exercises? • Large-scale pan-European simulation exercises • 2007  €2.6 million • 21 exercises financed since 2002 Aims • Accelerate response decision-making procedures • Enhance interoperability • Identify further training needs Escex 2004, Finland Eurosot 2005, Italy EUDANEX 2006, Denmark/Sweden EULUX 2007, Luxembourg

Preparedness and Response – Modules • resources of one or more participating states • can be dispatched at very short notice • work self-sufficiently and autonomously • interoperable with other modules • able to provide assistance to other international organisations, especially the UN • examples of modules: forest fire-fighting; high capacity pumping

Response – The MIC Monitoring and Information Centre Technical support e.g. satellite images and access to other Community resources Supports coordination Information role e.g. • dispatches EU expert teams • matches requests for aid to offers from participating states • assists in providing transport options for assistance e.g. analyses and distributes reliable info to participating states during disasters A one-stop shop for civil protection assistance

Response – outside the EU • close cooperation with other Commission services e.g. DG ECHO, DG RELEX; • close cooperation with the Presidency of the EU; • leading role of UN OCHA recognised; • close cooperation between MIC teams and UNDAC teams on site;

Response – CECIS Common Emergency Communication and Information System

Specificities of European civil protection • European systems and organisations have evolved over the last 15 years; • the term “civil defence” is now rarely used in Europe; • organisations are civilian and personnel are under civilian command; • personnel do not carry weapons when on international disaster relief missions; • military resources are used as a last resort.

Prevention – Why a specific strategy? • Prevention and response go together • Increasing link between civil protection with environmental and other policies Disaster Civil Protection Other Policies Disaster Risk Reduction / Prevention

Prevention – An ongoing process Knowledge-based approach 2 studies: Gaps identified Stakeholder consultation Ongoing review process • European society • Businesses • Public Sector end 2008 prevention initiative

Prevention – What is the aim? • build a consistent knowledge base on disasters; • link the various actors and policies; • improve the use of EU funds for preventing disasters; • review and complement existing initiatives; • support specific EU research and development initiatives; • reinforce international co-operation on prevention.

Thank you http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil

DG ENV A3 Civil Protection Unit ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm