Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-04-Speech-1-128"
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"en.20060904.20.1-128"2
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"Mr President, I am very happy that we are having this debate this evening, which follows on from the previous debate on a similar matter.
I should also point out and emphasise the exceptional efficiency with which the Cyprus authorities and a great many volunteers dealt with this crisis, with our participation, of course.
The third major problem was the problem of the oil slick. As I said earlier, we immediately sent experts, who are still there, given that this is an ongoing problem: for a time the surrounding countries were threatened, but they were not ultimately contaminated and at present the experts are trying with various pumps and materials sent by countries of the European Union and third countries, such as Norway, to improve the situation and to clean up the shores.
Furthermore, this summer we had fires in various European countries, such as Greece, France and Portugal, and very extensive fires in Spain. Of these countries, Spain asked for help from the European Union and, within a few hours of the Spanish Government's request, fire-fighting 'planes, fire engines and firemen were offered by various European countries and, with the help of the European Union, action by the Spanish Government and a change in the weather and rainfall, the fire was finally put out.
Furthermore, we had a major problem in Ethiopia, with floods which continue to threaten the country; we had hundreds of deaths and several thousand refugees. Experts and specialists from the European Union are there and countries in the European Union have offered certain supplies and materials to deal with the emergency in this country which, I would emphasise, is still in a state of crisis.
Similarly, numerous countries in the European Union sent aid through the civil protection mechanism to Indonesia following the earthquake last May.
I should like to say on the subject of the fires, given that this is an issue of great interest, that the Commission is not competent for all forest-related matters: these are matters for the Member States and it is the Member States which determine the policies used to protect forests, prevent fires and address all associated, forest-related problems.
Policies at European level are designed to strengthen the Member States' corresponding policies. They also include the funding programmes which we have and which are available either from the new rural development mechanism, the Forest Focus Directive, which will have the facility to finance action to protect forests, or from the new LIFE+ programme, which makes express provision for financing for various activities which used to be financed under the Forest Focus Directive.
Of course we also have the civil protection action programme, which can be used to finance – and is financing – certain activities to protect forests.
I know that in matters of civil protection from natural disasters we can never be satisfied. Many crises and natural disasters cannot be averted. However, we can be better prepared. Although the civil protection mechanism has proven that it adds value and that it is very important, there is a great deal of room for improvement, a great deal of room to make it more effective. On this matter I should like to thank the European Parliament for its constant support, for strengthening the civil protection mechanism, and I am certain that this evening's debate will help in this direction.
I should like to say that the European Union civil protection mechanism was activated 11 times in the first few months of this year, intervening on request in the floods in various European countries in the spring, especially in the countries which requested it, namely Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and, outside the European Union, Algeria.
Similarly, we recently had the crisis in Lebanon and the associated problems created by the hostilities. Both Lebanon and Cyprus requested intervention by the European Union on three issues:
Firstly with the provision of humanitarian assistance for refugees and displaced persons.
Secondly with evacuation: the removal from Lebanon of citizens from European Union countries, their transportation to Cyprus, their reception there and their subsequent repatriation.
The third problem which arose was the problem of contamination by the oil slick following the bombing of the oil tanks in south Lebanon and the fact that approximately 10 to 15 thousand tonnes of oil spilled on to the shore and then into the sea, polluting the entire coast of Lebanon.
In this instance, the European Union immediately sent experts both to Cyprus and Lebanon.
Firstly, we mobilised the civil protection mechanisms in the European countries, coordinated the aid mission and addressed the more specific problem of transporting humanitarian aid, given that certain countries offering aid did not have any means of transportation, which is a specific problem which needs to be examined in future.
Secondly, as I already mentioned, European citizens and third country citizens were transported as quickly as possible from Cyprus to their own countries. This was a very difficult operation if you imagine that about 45 000 citizens from other countries abandoned Lebanon, went to Cyprus and had to be repatriated. The European Union, with the civil protection mechanism, coordinated transportation, with aeroplanes scheduled to arrive so that the citizens of the various countries had to remain in Cyprus as little as possible."@en1
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