Council Resolution of 22 December 2003 on strengthening Community cooperation in the field of civil protection research
Date: 2003-12-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European cooperation, civil defence, environmental risk prevention, research programme

C 8/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

13.1.2004

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 22 December 2003

on strengthening Community cooperation in the field of civil protection research

(2004/C 8/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Whereas:

(1) The strengthening of

its scientific basis is one of

the
strategic objectives of the programme to improve coop-
eration in the European Union for preventing and
limiting the consequences of chemical, biological, radio-
logical or nuclear (CBRN) terrorist threats, adopted on 20
December 2002. Such strengthening would allow the
vulnerability
and assessment of CBRN-risks,
analysis
and
reduction and prevention, monitoring, warning
communication, and consequence management
to be
addressed efficiently.

invited to make use of

(2) In that connection, the Commission and the Member States
were
the Sixth Framework
Programme of the European Community for research, tech-
nological
activities,
and
development
contributing to the creation of
the European research
area and to innovation (2002 to 2006) adopted by
Decision No 1513/2002/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council (1) in order to increase cooperation in
this area.

demonstration

(3) The appraisal and considerations which led to research
being included among the strategic objectives of
the
CBRN programme are also relevant to any other natural
or man-made risks.

(4) The European countries have been struck in recent years by
an unprecedented succession of natural disasters;
in
particular, the frequency and severity of adverse weather
phenomena have shown a rising trend resulting in a wide
range of disasters.

(5) The constantly increasing technological development, the
growing complexity of society in developed countries and
the growing density of population are resulting in an
increase in risks faced by the population, such as industrial
risks,
including the risks related to the processing and
storage of dangerous substances and the risks related to
the increased traffic, including the transport of dangerous
substances. This evolution also generates an increase in
daily accidents and adverse effects on the environment.

(6) All necessary action should be taken in order to reduce
including research
those natural and technological risks,
initiatives to gain greater insight into the causes of such
risks,
reducing their harmful
effects and to increase the ability to forecast certain
natural phenomena so that civil protection measures can
duly be taken in advance.

to improve methods for

(7) Council Decision 2001/792/EC, Euratom of 23 October
establishing a Community mechanism to facilitate rein-
forced cooperation in Civil Protection assistance inter-
ventions (2),
the Commission to stimulate and
encourage the introduction and use for the purpose of
the mechanism of new technologies,
including systems
for notification and alert, exchange of information, use of
satellite technology and assistance to decision-making in
the management of emergencies.

invites

(8) The strengthening of relations between those involved in
crucially

researchers

protection

remains

and

civil
important,

CALLS ON THE COMMISSION AND MEMBER STATES TO:

1. promote the development of

research projects on the
reduction of natural and technological risks and on the
mitigation of
related accidents, developing the widest
possible cooperation between the relevant actors;

2. to that end, encourage research institutes and other relevant
entities to work towards common civil protection objectives
tech-
aiming at
nological risks for Europe's citizens, making use of
the
possibilities offered by the Sixth Framework Research
Programme;

improving protection from natural or

3. reinforce the actions in the field of research undertaken

under Decision 2001/792/EC, Euratom;

4. foster links between researchers and those involved in civil

protection.

(1) OJ L 232, 29.8.2002, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 297, 15.11.2001, p. 7.