Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on reinforcing the civil protection capacity of the European Union
Date: 2004-09-30
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: civil defence, data collection, database, information network

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Official Journal of the European Union

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2.12
would highlight the fact that many of the Commis-
sion's proposals are concerned with creating standards, systems,
indicators and methods to make comparisons between coun-
tries possible. The Committee believes that it is very important
to develop systems that do not put pressure on resources, or
increase costs and red tape for regional and local authorities;

2.13
considers that it is very important that all the propo-
sals should be flexible and simple, in view of the various coun-
tries' situations and needs;

2.14
considers that it is important that the Commission
proposals should promote a step-by-step approach, and do not

create any tension between cities that manage to implement
the proposals at once and those that are unable to comply with
them immediately;

2.15
considers that the Commission must clarify what is
meant by ‘towns and cities’ and ‘urban areas’. Definitions could,
if necessary, be worked out in each Member State;

stresses the need for the thematic strategy consistently
2.16
to take into account the links between the urban environment
and its hinterland, making provision, where necessary,
for
agreements and cooperation with the relevant authorities of the
surrounding areas concerned.

Brussels, 30 September 2004

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
European Parliament,

the Council,

Committee of the Regions on reinforcing the civil protection capacity of the European Union

(2005/C 43/10)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Reinforcing the civil protec-
tion capacity of the European Union (COM(2004) 200 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 25 March 2004 to consult the Committee
of the Regions on this subject, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the Euro-
pean Community;

Having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 19 June 2003 to instruct its Commission for Sustainable
Development to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to its Opinion on the management and consequences of natural disasters: the role of European
structural policy of 3 July 2003 (CdR 104/2003 fin) (1);

Having regard to Council Decision 1999/847/EC of 9 December 1999 establishing an action programme in
the field of civil protection (2000-2004) (2);

Having regard to Council Decision 2001/792/EC, Euratom of 23 October 2001 establishing a community
mechanism to facilitate reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance (3);

Having regard to the initiatives of the Commission in late 2003 to adopt the implementing instruments
for Council Decision 2001/792;

(1) OJ C 256 of 24.10.2003, p. 74
(2) OJ L 327 of 21.12.1999, p. 53
(3) OJ L 297 of 15.11.2001, p. 7

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Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 4 September 2003 (PE T5-0373/2003) on the
effects of the summer heat wave (2003) and the European Parliament report (PE-A5-0278/2003) on improving
safety at sea in response to the Prestige accident;

Having regard to Article III-184 and Article I-42 of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for
Europe, wherein the fundamental principles underlying cooperation and solidarity in the field of civil
protection are laid down;

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 241/2003 rev. 1) adopted on 8 July 2004 by its Commission for
sustainable development (rapporteur: Mr Isidoro Gottardo, Member of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional
Council (IT/EPP);

Whereas:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

The principle of solidarity and mutual assistance between Member States in case of natural or man-
made disasters on the territory of the European Union is a fundamental moral obligation and a
founding and defining principle of an international community;

The highest principles of solidarity must be extended by the European Union to third countries
affected by the above-mentioned disasters, within a framework of international cooperation;

In recent years, there has been a discernible upsurge in exposure to disaster hazards both within the
European Union and beyond its borders. As a consequence, it is vital for the European Union to
take steps to strengthen the Commission's coordination and rapid response capacities;

A modern and effective civil protection system rests on two fundamental pillars, namely a high level
of coordination and an intricate, Community-wide network of operational resources and highly
specialised rapid response units;

A broad Europe-wide network of human and material civil protection resources at the service of
Member States and regions is essential to ensure prompt, frontline rescue operations on behalf of
disaster victims, and to mobilise and coordinate on-site operational resources with assistance from
outside the affected area;

Once the European Union's civil protection capacity has been reinforced, the Community should
address prevention issues with commitment and determination in order to restrict, in so far as this
is possible, the incidence of disasters and mitigate the negative effects of those disasters that defy
prevention;

Unanimously adopted the following opinion at
30 September 2004 in Brussels (meeting of 30 September):

its 56th plenary session held on 29 and

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

considers that

1.4
local and regional government can
provide an important model framework for the development of
an efficient and modern European civil protection system, with
the ability to respond to crises within the European Union and
beyond its borders;

1.1
approves the action plan outlined in the Commission
Communication for strengthening the European Union's opera-
tional capacity in the field of civil protection, in the spirit of
solidarity and cooperation that
the European Parliament
upholds as a founding principle of an international community;

1.2
considers that a holistic approach should be followed,
covering all aspects of civil disaster protection, such as preven-
tive measures, rescue services and follow-up measures;

1.3
considers that local and regional governments consti-
tute an important structural and organisational model frame-
work for modern and effective civil protection in Europe, due
to their legislative and administrative powers and their direct
contact with and responsibility for their citizens' security and
regional heritage;

1.5
believes that an active civil protection culture has taken
firm root in the Member States, regions and communes and
has evolved into an intricate network that spans the European
Union. It finds its source at a local level and is consolidated at
the highest institutional level. The authorities, and the regions
in particular, must have a high rapid alert and coordination
capacity,
to widespread emergency
resources deployed throughout the territory, prompt mobilisa-
tion of their own human and material resources to the disaster
area, and the ability to coordinate the arrival of external human
and material resources;

immediate access

i.e.

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1.6
emphasises that rapid, quality information and commu-
nication systems for monitoring and managing emergency
situations are vital to the new Community civil protection
mechanism since the efficient coordination of rescue efforts on
behalf of disaster victims cannot be achieved without them;

2. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

Database

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.7
considers it indispensable to link the European moni-
toring centre with national and regional civil protection opera-
tions through one fixed emergency communication network
system;

1.8
hopes that the implementation of the Communication's
guidelines will be accompanied by European certification
regarding standards for the communication capacity, command
and management of national and regional civil protection
operations in order to ensure the efficiency and reliability of
such fundamental emergency forces;

1.9
considers that in order to keep European civil protec-
tion databases up to date, and to ensure an efficient and rapid
emergency response, regional and national civil protection
centres should be the primary source of information on human
and material resources and experience in emergency response
situations. Existing national authority databases should be
synchronised with the European database;

2.1
recommends that the human and material resources
database for various emergency situations be compiled - by
coordinating available information from national authority
databases - and updated by the operators that possess the rele-
vant information for their own institutional purposes, and that
manage operational 24-hour civil protection emergency centres
in the territories of their jurisdiction;

2.2
proposes that the database information sources include
national civil protection operational centres by pooling infor-
mation on major material and human resources, and highly
qualified specialists. The database should also include regional
civil protection operational centres by pooling information on
the overall
resources and specialised rapid response units
attached to local authorities;

recommends that,

2.3
in addition to information on the
financial and operational resources allocated to various emer-
gencies, all actors at all levels of the above-mentioned informa-
tion network should contribute to the database a list of the
specific emergencies dealt with by specific operational units, on
or off their own territory;

1.10
considers that, given the long experience of Member
States and regions in managing the more common or recurrent
disasters, the essential pan-European strategic objective should
be to bring together and coordinate the human and material
resources that already exist in the European Union;

2.4
recommends that the database include a list of civil
protection operations of an international character that have
been coordinated by the operational centre on its own terri-
tory;

recommends that the database be updated every six

2.5
months, within a pre-established time frame.

considers that a Community-level

1.11
team of experts
should be appointed to develop realistic emergency scenarios
for rare or poorly understood emergencies, and to identify the
human and material resources best suited for rescue and rapid
response operations;

1.12
considers that joint civil protection operations are an
important indicator of the different Member States' human and
material operational capacity in the field.
Joint operations
establish whether participating States are able to integrate their
respective operations effectively and to coordinate closely with
the civil authorities on the spot, whose local responsibility in
the communication, command and crisis management network
is of primary importance;

Joint exercises

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

2.6
recommends that joint civil protection exercises should
strike the right balance between the greater resources of the
emergency response
specialized national
resources of
the region, which are specifically trained to
provide direct assistance to the population in close coordina-
tion with the municipality and other national and regional
forces;

and the

forces

1.13
emphasises that the process of creating and finalising
a European rapid emergency response force should provide as
much scope as possible for cross-border cooperation and, in
particular, for joint civil protection exercises between neigh-
bouring or border regions.

2.7
urges the Commission to commit itself to the planning
and development of cross-border operations that involve the
regions. This would enable
active participation of border
regions to pool their experience in civil protection and provide
a solid operational base on which to build a European emer-
gency response force;

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2.8
recommends that best emergency response practices be
defined for recurrent disasters, and in particular, for disasters
that spread rapidly such as forest fires. This could be achieved
by comparing the early warning and emergency response
tactics used in different regions;

2.9
recommends that steps be taken to improve the intero-
perability of civilian and military resources in order to ensure
the immediate deployment of special resources that only the
armed forces can access, or
in additional special
resources, such as helicopters, to complement civil protection
resources in complex or widespread disasters.

to call

Communication and improved coordination

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

that

in order

recommends

2.10
to solve problems
connected with the timely communication of information so as
to ensure the rapid assessment of an emergency situation and
the prompt delivery of effective assistance, regional 24-hour
emergency centres must be able to communicate directly, in
real
thus
time, with national and EU emergency centres,
avoiding circuitous information channels that slow down or
distort the flow of information;

2.11
recommends the establishment of a dedicated Euro-
pean civil protection communication network linking all
regional and national emergency centres to the European moni-
toring centre;

2.12
proposes that it be made compulsory to notify the
European monitoring centre of an emergency situation when-
ever a regional civil protection centre calls external resources to
a disaster area. The regional centre should also notify the Euro-
pean centre once the crisis is at an end.

Financial resources

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

financial support

recommends that

2.13
for emergency
interventions and the creation of a European civil protection
system should be reinforced. Not only is such funding essential
to solidarity amongst the Member States of an international
community like the European Union, but it further provides
the means to facilitate integration and coordination of highly
specialised forces and units from different EU Member States
and regions that are called upon to coordinate their operations
in an integrated manner.

Brussels, 30 September 2004.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB