Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-06-16-Speech-3-520"
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"en.20100616.34.3-520"2
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"Mr President, indeed, the floods in Central Europe are a very dramatic reminder of our vulnerability to natural disasters, and actually, as we speak in this Chamber tonight, flash floods in the South of France have so far taken the lives of 19 people. So disasters are not confined to the areas which are this evening’s subject matter (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary). Floods this year have also been hitting hard in the country where we are meeting tonight.
We propose to address this by developing reference scenarios for major types of disasters so that we can anticipate the type of help that will be needed, and by mapping out the available assets in the Member States for use when disaster strikes. And we will aim to find agreement with Member States on a voluntary pool of key assets that can be put on stand-by for immediate deployment.
To develop these ideas, we are engaging in a wide-ranging consultation and we will continue to do so with the Parliament, Member States and other stakeholders.
The recent floods are also a reminder that the EU and its Member States need to step up work on disaster prevention. This is a good moment for the affected countries to reinforce their knowledge of flood risks, to draw up risk assessments and maps, to prepare flood risk management plans, and to take all the steps necessary for effective implementation of the Floods Directive.
The increased frequency and intensity of disasters in Europe should also provide a further incentive for Member States to invest in preparedness and build up their capacity. EU solidarity has to go hand in hand with national responsibility, and preparedness will be part of the proposals the Commission will put forward.
So let me conclude, Mr President, by saying that we all recognise that emergency situations have massive human, economic and environmental costs. With the frequency and intensity of disasters on the rise, European citizens expect us to be effective in addressing them both inside and outside the EU.
We have identified disaster management as a priority, and I am personally committed to bringing forward proposals to strengthen the European disaster response capacity.
I would like to thank Parliament for its interest and support. You have been a very strong factor in developing the capacities I reported on, and I do hope you will continue to play this critical role of driving us towards a better response capacity in the future.
We are all aware that natural disasters are on the rise as climate change leads to more extreme weather events, and when faced with disasters of this magnitude, the national capacity to respond is simply overwhelmed. In such cases, European solidarity makes a difference in saving and protecting both lives and critical infrastructure. These floods we are discussing this evening have underlined the added value of a coordinated EU response.
Let me take us back to the beginning of the floods in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Very heavy rainfall and severe flooding affected the basins of the Vistula, Oder and Warta rivers in the first half of May. On Thursday, 19 May, Poland asked for assistance – specifically they asked for high-capacity pumps – through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which I am responsible for. The EU response to this request was swift and generous, with eight Member States providing exactly what was needed – Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands delivered within hours high-capacity pumps and technical expertise. An EU cofinanced multinational module developed by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania under the Preparatory Action for an EU Rapid Response Capability, which this Parliament promoted, was also deployed. In total, over 55 pumps, 22 expert teams and 300 rescuers were deployed plus one liaison officer from the Monitoring and Information Centre in the Commission.
Six days later, Hungary, which had also been hit by severe flooding, requested sand bags to reinforce its flood containment capacity. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism managed to secure more than three million sand bags from Slovenia, Romania, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Norway, Slovakia and Croatia.
As we speak, floods and their consequences have not yet abated. Rains continue to affect part of Central Europe. A flash flood hit France yesterday and today. We are waiting for a second-wave flood to affect the south of Poland, where nine European teams are still on the ground. The situation in Hungary is gradually improving. We are in daily contact with the Member States, monitoring the situation constantly and ready, upon request, to mobilise extra EU expertise.
Beyond these emergency measures, the EU Solidarity Fund could also be mobilised to cover certain expenditures linked to repairs and recovery, and the Commission is already cooperating with the affected countries, giving them guidance in preparing applications.
The floods have proven the value of the Civil Protection Mechanism as a platform for real-time information dissemination and response coordination. This mechanism, as you recall, was also triggered for Haiti and for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and clearly shows the potential of this instrument.
By the end of this year, the Commission will adopt a communication on the reinforcement of the EU’s disaster response capacity. It will look at the response to various types of disasters within the EU as well as outside the EU.
One key issue will be improving the mobilisation of the EU’s in-kind assistance. Most – not all – but most of this assistance is already channelled through the Commission’s Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC). The system ensures that real needs are being met and that duplication is avoided. But it is based on
offers, and because of this, it is simply not possible to guarantee that the right assistance will be available. So disaster hits and we pray that it won’t hit in so many Member States that we will be faced with an inability to meet demands."@en1
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