Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-16-Speech-1-120"
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"en.20080616.21.1-120"2
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"Mr President, last year, thanks to the Community Civil Protection Mechanism, the EU mobilised
to help the Member States stricken by the catastrophic forest fires.
the formation of three civil protection units for aerial forest firefighting.
Funds have already been secured for the transport of aid equipment. In addition, under the 2008 pilot programme for forest fires, we are cooperating with Member States to create tactical reserves that will be on standby for emergencies in Europe.
In addition, between 2007 and 2013, approximately EUR 5.8 billion will be available under the cohesion policy programmes, for risk prevention and response to various types of disaster, including forest fires.
A further EUR 1.6 billion will be available from the rural development funds to restore forest resources and initiate preventive actions.
Lastly, for the most devastating natural disasters, the option of support from the European Solidarity Fund is retained.
In the Communication it presented in March, the Commission underlined the need for an integrated approach to disaster management, which must include prevention, readiness, response and restoration. It examined all types of natural and man-made disasters, within and outside the EU, and also all the Community resources available for disaster response.
In addition to civil protection, the Communication examined three other areas of Community action:
strengthening European humanitarian aid;
improving the coordination of intervention capability for disaster response;
upgrading interinstitutional cooperation, i.e. cooperation between European agencies or institutions.
We have identified certain points that require immediate attention in a bid to avoid similar disasters in future.
We are also developing an action plan. This will be ready in the summer and will map out a range of specific initiatives over and above those mentioned in the Communication, such as:
analysis of the shortcomings in material and technical support capability, for both humanitarian and civil protection actions. This will enable us to determine which particular tools are available, which are the most necessary, and which are most cost-effective;
support for initiatives to limit disaster risks in third countries;
closer cooperation with the UN, the International Bank and various NGOs, with a view to strengthening disaster response capability at global level;
better use of science, technology and innovation;
an upgrade in the role of our agencies in disaster response throughout the world;
a more effective evaluation of disaster damage.
As regards disaster prevention, there is at present no integrated European approach. To address this issue, the Commission is preparing a communication to assess the added value of instituting a Community disaster prevention mechanism. The Commission will present possible options aiming at:
improving our knowledge of disasters and their impact;
improving the interconnection of related policies, e.g. the interconnection between land-use planning and disaster prevention;
Firstly, we need to overcome the lack of available technical resources for disaster relief. This was noted during the operations in 2007.
improving the use of Community resources.
In addition to this initiative, which will focus on the EU, the Commission is drawing up a strategy for disaster risk reduction in developing countries.
Lastly, the Commission has taken a series of measures to strengthen the EU’s intervention capability to respond to disasters that might occur in Europe. In particular, the Commission’s Monitoring and Information Centre is being strengthened. Since we do not currently have detailed analyses of the gaps and shortcomings in response capability in the event of major disasters, we are in the process of analysing disaster scenarios and testing innovative arrangements. This will release civil protection resources and capabilities for operations on a European scale. By mid-2009, the Commission also intends to submit proposals for a European disaster response training network.
To conclude, I would like to thank Parliament for the constant, steady support it is giving in strengthening the Community’s disaster response capability. This support is reaffirmed in the draft resolution that is to be put to the vote in plenary.
Secondly, there must be an integrated approach to dealing with forest fires, and prevention, readiness and response.
Thirdly, the operational capability of the Commission’s Monitoring and Information Centre should be strengthened.
The Commission has already adopted some practical operational measures, the main ones being:
the establishment and training of a network of forest-fire experts;
interoperability training for national firefighting teams;
a large-scale exercise organised in Sardinia in April, with the participation of forces from five Member States;"@en1
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