Amended proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection
Date: 1999-07-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, action programme, civil defence, cooperation policy, environmental protection

C 212 E/28

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.7.2000

Amended proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme in the
field of civil protection (1)

(2000/C 212 E/02)

COM(1999) 400 final (cid:151) 98/0354(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC-Treaty on 30 July 1999)

(1) OJ C 28, 3.2.1999, p. 29.

INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Unchanged

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 308 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Having regard to the opinion of
Committee,

the Economic and Social

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

(1) Whereas the actions taken by the Community in this field
since 1985 it possible progressively to develop coop-
eration between the Member
the
adopted since 1987 (1) and the Council
resolutions
Decision of 19 December 1997 (2)
a
Community Action Programme in the field of Civil
Protection constitutes the basis for this cooperation;

States; whereas

establishing

(1) Whereas it is necessary to continue and to step up the
actions taken by the Community in this field since 1985
to make it possible progressively to develop greater and
more effective and progressive cooperation between the
Member States; whereas the resolutions adopted since
1987 (1) and the Council Decision of 19 December
1997 (2) establishing a Community Action Programme in
the field of Civil Protection constitutes the basis for this
cooperation;

(2) Whereas

the

individual

actions undertaken by the
Community to implement the programme contribute to
the protection of persons, environment and property in
the event of natural and technological disasters;

(2) Whereas

the

individual

actions undertaken by the
Community to implement the programme contribute to
the protection of persons, environment and property in
the event of natural and technological disasters and a
more rational relationship with nature, which in future
may make
to prevent many disasters,
including floods;

it possible

(3) Whereas the Community programme of policy and action
in relation to the environment and sustainable devel-
opment (3) presented by the Commission foresees that
the Community’s activities will be stepped up in particular
in the field of environmental emergencies, whereas the
same programme
to take
for
account of scientific research and technological devel-
opment;
___________
(1) OJ C 176, 4.7.1987, p. 1; OJ C 44, 23.2.1989, p. 3; OJ C 315,

activities

these

calls

Unchanged

___________
(1) OJ C 176, 4.7.1987, p. 1; OJ C 44, 23.2.1989, p. 3; OJ C 315,

14.12.1990, p. 1; OJ C 313, 10.11.1994, p. 1.

14.12.1990, p. 1; OJ C 313, 10.11.1994, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 8, 14.1.1998, p. 20.
(3) OJ C 138, 17.5.1993, p. 5.

(2) OJ L 8, 14.1.1998, p. 20.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 212 E/29

INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

(4) Whereas the Community Action Programme will continue
to help to develop cooperation in this field even more
effectively; whereas the programme should be based to a
large extent on experience already gained in this field;

(4) Whereas the Community Action Programme will continue
to help to develop cooperation in this field even more
effectively; whereas the programme should be based to a
large extent on experience already gained in this field and
continue to develop this experience;

cooperation supports

(5) Whereas, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,
Community
supplements
national policies in the field of Civil Protection in order
effective; whereas pooling of
to make
experience and mutual assistance will help to reduce the
loss of human life,
injuries and economic and environ-
mental damage throughout the Community;

them more

and

and

them more

cooperation supports

(5) Whereas, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,
Community
supplements
national policies in the field of Civil Protection in order
effective; whereas pooling of
to make
experience and mutual assistance will help to reduce the
and
loss of human life,
injuries, material damage
economic and environmental damage throughout
the
Community, making the objectives of social cohesion,
solidarity and European citizenship more tangible;

special

(6) Whereas the isolated and ultraperipheral regions of the
their
Union have
geography, terrain and social and economic conditions
which have an adverse effect and make it difficult
to
deliver aid and means of assistance in the event of
major danger;

characteristics because of

Unchanged

(7) Whereas the Community Action Programme will provide
transparency as well as consolidate and strengthen the
different actions in continued pursuit of the objectives
of the Treaty;

(8) Whereas action to prevent risks and damage as well as
provide information and prepare those responsible for and
involved in Civil Protection in the Member States is
important and increases the degree of preparedness for
accidents; whereas
to undertake
Community action to improve techniques and methods
of response and rehabilitation after emergencies;

is also important

it

(9) Whereas it is also important to undertake action targeted
at the general public so as to help European citizens to
protect themselves more effectively;

(9) Whereas it is also important to undertake action targeted
at the general public so as to help European citizens to
protect themselves more effectively; whereas they should
realise that this task is a shared responsibility and be made
aware of health and environmental protection problems;

(10) Whereas

an

advisory

committee will

assist

the

Unchanged

Commission in managing the action programme;

(11) Whereas the provisions of this Decision take over from 1
January 2000, from the action programme set up through
the Council Decision of 19 December 1997 and ending on
31 December 1999;

(12) Whereas the Treaty does not provide, for the adoption of
this Decision, powers other than those of Article 308,

C 212 E/30

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Official Journal of the European Communities

25.7.2000

INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Article 1

A Community action programme in the field of Civil
1.
Protection (hereinafter called (cid:145)the programme(cid:146)) is hereby estab-
lished for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004.

A Community action programme in the field of Civil
1.
Protection,
(hereinafter
including environmental emergencies,
called (cid:145)the programme(cid:146)) is hereby established for the period 1
January 2000 to 31 December 2004.

The programme is

intended to support,

supplement
2.
Member States’ efforts at national, regional and local
levels
for the protection of persons, environment and property in
the event of natural and technological disasters. The aim is
also to facilitate cooperation and mutual assistance between
Member States in this field.

2.
The programme is intended to support, supplement and
step up Member States’ efforts at national, supra-regional,
regional and local levels for the prevention and the protection
of persons, environment and property in the event of danger or
actual natural and technological disasters. The aim is also to
facilitate cooperation, exchange of experience and mutual
assistance between Member States in this field.

Article 2

Unchanged

The Commission shall implement the actions under the

1.
programme.

the

2.
A three-year rolling plan to implement the programme,
to be reviewed annually, shall be adopted, in accordance with
the procedure laid down in Article 4 and on the basis inter alia
to the
information supplied by Member States
of
Commission. The Commission may, when necessary, arrange
additional actions
the programme. Such
additional actions shall be assessed in the light of the priorities
set and the financial resources available.

to those under

Actions under the programme and financial arrangements

3.
for Community contribution are set out in the Annex.

Article 3

The rolling plan to implement

1.
contain the individual actions to be undertaken.

the programme shall

Individual actions shall be selected primarily on the basis

2.
of the following criteria:

(a) contribution to preventing the risks and damage to persons,
environment and property in the event of natural and tech-
nological disasters;

(b) contribution to increasing the degree of preparedness of
those involved in Civil Protection in the Member States,
to increase their ability to respond to an
in order
emergency;

(b) contribution to increasing the degree of preparedness of
those primarily responsible for and most directly involved
in
in Civil Protection at all
order to increase their ability to respond to an emergency;

levels in the Member States,

detecting and studying the immediate and underlying
causes of disasters and publishing the conclusions of such
a study;

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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INITIAL PROPOSAL

AMENDED PROPOSAL

(c) contribution to improving techniques and of response and

rehabilitation after emergencies;

(c) contribution to improving the means and methods of fore-
casting, techniques and procedures of response and reha-
bilitation after emergencies, by means of pilot projects;

(d) contribution

public
awareness, so as to help citizens to protect
more effectively.

information,

to

education

and
themselves

Unchanged

Each individual action shall be implemented in close
at national,

3.
cooperation with the
regional and local level in the Member States.

authorities

competent

4. Where relevant, actions under the present programme
shall seek to contribute to the integration of civil protection
objectives in other Community and Member States policies and
actions.

4. Where relevant, actions under the present programme
shall seek to contribute to the integration of civil protection
objectives in other Community and Member States policies and
actions, particularly when the environmental impact of instal-
lations and activities is being assessed.

Each action shall

5.
Community and national research in the relevant fields.

take account of

the results of

the

Unchanged

Article 4

the

For

implementation of

1.
the
Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee
the Member States and
representatives of
composed of
chaired by the representative of the Commission.

programme,

the

2.
The representative of the Commission shall submit to the
committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee
shall deliver its opinion on the draft, within a time limit which
the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the
matter, if necessary by taking a vote.

3.
The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition,
each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its
position recorded in the minutes.

The Commission shall take the utmost account of the
inform the
the manner in which its opinion has been

4.
opinion delivered by the committee and shall
committee of
taken into account.

The Commission may also refer other matters relating to

5.
Civil Protection to the advisory committee.

Article 5

The Commission shall evaluate the implementation of
the
programme at mid-term and before its end, and report by
30 September 2002 and 31 March 2004 to the Council and
the European Parliament.

Article 6

This Decision shall apply with effect from 1 January 2000.

Article 7

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

C 212 E/32

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Official Journal of the European Communities

25.7.2000

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION (1)

ANNEX

ORIGINAL TABLE

Action

Financing arrangements

A. Major projects of general interest

Major projects of general interest for all Member States or
a number of them and involving a process for enhancing
Civil Protection capabilities for dealing with disasters in
certain significant aspects, such as:

Maximum Community financial contribution: 75% of the
total costs of the action.

(cid:151) prevention;

(cid:151) preparedness;

(cid:151) response;

(cid:151) restoration;

(cid:151) information of the public, so as to help the citizens to
protect
themselves more effectively as well as to
contribute to safety in connection with the free
movement of citizens within the Community.

B. Training

1. Workshops and courses (1)

Organisation of workshops or training courses bringing
together high-level experts, technical specialists and tech-
nicians from the Member States permitting, within each
discipline, the mutual sharing of experience by means of
discussions in specific terms of their methods, techniques
and means with a view to:

(cid:151) increasing their degree of preparedness;

(cid:151) creating the conditions for the establishment of a
human network permitting more effective operational
cooperation between Member States
in case of
emergency.

2. Exchange of experts and technicians

the secondment of experts,

to the
Organisation of
emergency services of another Member State in order to
allow the experts to gain experience or appraise different
techniques used or to study the approaches taken within
other emergency services or other relevant bodies.

Organisation of exchanges of Member States’ experts,
specialists and technicians enabling them to present or
to follow short training courses.

Maximum Community financial contribution: 75 % of the
total cost of the action, with a ceiling of 75 000 EUR per
action.

Maximum 75 % of
expenses and 100 % of
system

the experts’

travel and subsistence
the costs of coordinating the

(1) The specific actions eligible to other Community instruments will not be financed in the frame of this programme.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Action

Financing arrangements

Maximum Community financial contribution: 50 % of the
costs of participating observers from other Member States
and for organising the associated workshops, preparing
the exercise and the final report, etc.

Maximum Community financial contribution: 50 % of the
total cost of each pilot project, with a ceiling of
200 000 EUR for each project.

3. Exercises (1)

to
The exercises are intended to compare methods,
stimulate cooperation between Member States and to
back up progress in coordination of the national Civil
Protection services, with a view to improving inter alia
the effectiveness and speed of
response in case of
emergency.

C. Other actions

1. Pilot projects (1) (2)

Projects designed to increase the capacity for and speed of
response in the initial stages of crises in the different
regions of Member States. These projects are aimed
mainly at improving means, techniques and procedures
also in the isolated and ultraperipheral regions. Their
scope should be such as
several
Member States and it
is intended to give them the
maximum dissemination and demonstration throughout
the Union for their implementation.

to interest all or

The greatest possible encouragement should be given to
multinational projects.

2. Support actions (1)

Support actions for the development of particular Civil
Protection aspects (2).

Maximum Community financial contribution: 50 % of the
total cost of each action, with a ceiling of 30 000 EUR
per action.

3. Conferences and events (1)

Conferences and other Civil Protection events which are
open to a large audience, and involving several Member
States.

4.

Information and other actions

Distribution of information, publications and production
of exhibition material on the Community cooperation in
the field of Civil Protection. Other actions aiming to a
better appreciation of the results of the civil protection
activities, such as statistics, economic analysis Evaluation
of the programme.

D. Mobilisation of expertise

Mobilisation of expertise to intervene in the event of an
emergency situation to reinforce the system set-up by the
authorities of a Member State or a third country facing
natural, technological disasters.

Maximum Community financial contribution: 30 % of the
ceiling of
total
50 000 EUR per action.

arrangement with a

cost of

the

Community financial contribution: 100 % of the costs

Community financial contribution: 100% of the costs for
the experts’ missions.

(1) The only eligible actions are those interesting all Member States or a significant number of them.
(2) The only eligible actions must be in accordance with the priorities yearly defined within the management committee.

C 212 E/34

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Official Journal of the European Communities

25.7.2000

AMENDED TABLE

Action

Financing arrangements

A. Major projects of general interest

Major projects of general interest for all Member States or
a number of them and involving a process for enhancing
Civil Protection capabilities for dealing with disasters in
certain significant aspects, such as:

Maximum Community financial contribution: 75 % of the
total costs of the action.

(cid:151) prevention;

(cid:151) preparedness;

(cid:151) response;

(cid:151) restoration;

(cid:151) information of the public, so as to help the citizens to
protect
themselves more effectively as well as to
contribute to safety in connection with the free
movement of citizens within the Community.

B. Training

1. Workshops and courses (1)

Organisation of workshops or training courses bringing
together high-level experts, technical specialists and tech-
nicians from the Member States, at
local regional or
supraregional
level, permitting, within each discipline,
the mutual sharing of experience by means of discussions
in specific terms of their methods, techniques and means
with a view to:

(cid:151) increasing their degree of preparedness;

(cid:151) creating the conditions for the establishment of a
human network permitting more effective operational
in case of
cooperation between Member States
emergency.

2. Exchange of experts and technicians

Maximum Community financial contribution: 75 % of the
total cost of the action, with a ceiling of 75 000 EUR per
action.

the secondment of civil protection
Organisation of
experts,
including experts of NGOs fully integrated in
the civil protection systems of
to
the emergency services of another Member State in
to gain experience or
order
appraise different
to study the
approaches taken within other emergency services or
other relevant bodies.

techniques used or

the Member States,

to allow the

experts

Maximum 75 % of
expenses and 100 % of
system

the experts’

travel and subsistence
the costs of coordinating the

Organisation of exchanges of Member States’ experts,
specialists and technicians enabling them to present or
to follow short training courses.

3. Exercises (1)

to
The exercises are intended to compare methods,
stimulate cooperation between Member States and to
back up progress in coordination of the national Civil
Protection services, with a view to improving inter alia
the effectiveness and speed of
response in case of
emergency.

Maximum Community financial contribution: 50 % of the
costs of participating observers from other Member States
and for organising the associated workshops, preparing
the exercise and the final report, etc.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 212 E/35

Action

Financing arrangements

C. Other actions

1. Pilot projects (1) (2)

Projects designed to increase the capacity for and speed of
response in the initial stages of crises in the different
regions of Member States. These projects are aimed
mainly at improving means, techniques and procedures
also in the isolated and ultraperipheral regions. Their
scope should be such as
several
Member States and it
is intended to give them the
maximum dissemination and demonstration throughout
the Union for their implementation.

to interest all or

The greatest possible encouragement should be given to
multinational projects.

2. Support actions (1)

Maximum Community financial contribution: 50 % of the
total cost of each pilot project, with a ceiling of
200 000 EUR for each project.

Support actions for the development of particular Civil
Protection aspects (2).

Maximum Community financial contribution: 50 % of the
total cost of each action, with a ceiling of 30 000 EUR
per action.

Maximum Community financial contribution: 30 % of the
ceiling of
total
50 000 EUR per action.

arrangement with a

cost of

the

Community financial contribution: 100 % of the costs

3. Conferences and events (1)

Conferences and other Civil Protection events which are
open to a large audience, and involving several Member
States.

4.

Information and other actions

Distribution of information, publications and production
of exhibition material on the Community cooperation in
the field of Civil Protection. Other actions aiming to a
better appreciation of the results of the civil protection
activities, such as statistics, economic analysis Evaluation
of
the programme, as well as participation in other
exhibitions and events for the distribution of material
the
which devote particular attention to prevention,
importance
the
resources,
implementation of safety standards, raising the alarm in
and
potentially
emergency situations.

rescue plans

conserving

dangerous

situations,

natural

of

D. Mobilisation of expertise

Mobilisation of expertise to intervene in the event of an
emergency situation to reinforce the system set-up by the
authorities of a Member State or a third country facing
natural, technological or environmental disasters.

Community financial contribution: 100 % of the costs for
the experts’ missions.

(1) The only eligible actions are those interesting all Member States or a significant number of them.
(2) The only eligible actions must be in accordance with the priorities yearly defined within the management committee.