Council conclusions on improving the European civil protection capabilities
Date: 2005-12-01
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU policy, civil defence, cooperation policy, emergency aid, man-made disaster, natural disaster

1.12.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

Council conclusions on improving the European civil protection capabilities

(2005/C 304/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

1. HAVING REGARD TO:

— the conclusions of the Council of 7 January 2005 on
the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean (1);

— the European Union Action Plan of 31 January 2005
on the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean (2);

— the conclusions of the Council of 4 October 2004 on
strengthening the overall Civil Protection Capacity in
the European Union (3);

— the conclusions of the Council of 25 November 2004
on prevention, preparedness and response to terrorist
attacks (4);

— the Communication from the Commission of 20 April
2005 on Improving the Community Civil Protection
Mechanism (5);

— the Communication from the Commission of 20 April
2005 on Reinforcing EU Disaster and Crisis Response
in third countries (6);

— the note from the Secretary-General/High Representa-
tive of 20 April 2005 on the Follow-up to the EU
Action Plan following the earthquake and tsunamis in
the Indian Ocean (7);

— the note from the Presidency of 20 May on the Follow-
up to the EU Action Plan following the earthquake and
tsunamis in the Indian Ocean (8);

(1) 5187/05.
(2) 5788/05.
(3) 11549/04.
(4) 15232/04.
(5) 8430/05 — COM(2005) 137 final.
(6) 8382/05 — COM(2005) 153 final.
(7) 8204/05.
(8) 8961/1/05 REV 1.

— the Presidency conclusions of the European Council of
Brussels of 16 and 17 June 2005, which wished
addressing as a priority during the second half of 2005
the strengthening of civil protection capabilities, parti-
cularly the medical resources available to deal with a
bioterrorist attack, and the development of a rapid
reaction capability based on the
civil protection
modules of the Member States (9).

2. BEARING IN MIND that the financial implications of the
proposed improvements, and in particular of the proposal
establishing a Rapid Response and Preparedness Instru-
ment for major emergencies, must be compatible with the
financial
framework set for the period 2007-2013 and
respect the principle of subsidiarity.

3. REAFFIRMS the need to develop an ‘European Union rapid
response capability’ to tackle natural or man-made disas-
ters inside or outside the Union, drawing on national
resources and teams trained to work together.

4. WELCOMES in general

the Communication from the
Commission on Improving the Community Civil Protec-
tion Mechanism, which sets out short term and medium
term proposals to strengthen European cooperation in the
framework of the Civil Protection Mechanism.

5. INVITES the Commission together with the Member States
to improve, within their respective competences, the Euro-
pean civil protection cooperation, including the strength-
ening of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism,
in
order to ensure that the European Union can provide civil
protection assistance rapidly and effectively in case of all
kinds of emergencies inside and outside the Union.

(9) 10255/05.

C 304/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

1.12.2005

6. UNDERLINES the overall role and responsibility of the
United Nations in coordinating international civil protec-
tion assistance in third countries, where present. The EU
should support the capabilities of the United Nations in
coordinating civil protection interventions in third coun-
tries. In this regard, the European rapid response capability
could contribute to the strengthening of the UN capacity
building for rapid action in the face of humanitarian disas-
ters.

respective competences,

7. ENCOURAGES the Commission together with the Member
States, within their
to further
develop a modular approach through a program which
will establish scenarios, capability assessment, operational
plans, training and exercises and common methodologies
for risk assessment under an all-hazard approach covering
natural and man-made disasters, including terrorism. This
program should drive action, building on the principles of
subsidiarity and complementarity, and of operating under
national
responsibility. The civil protection identified
modules are one in a number of significant assets in the
EU rapid response capability and will be able to operate
independently or in cooperation with or support to other
EU bodies or international institutions.

8. STRESSES that evaluations, taking into account risk assess-
ments, deficit analyses and lessons learned from emergen-
cies, training and exercises, are the basis for decisions on
improving the response capacity of the EU.

9. ENCOURAGES the Commission and the Member States to
in the short term, work in the following

take forward,
priority areas:

(a) further assess the civil protection capabilities which the
Member States may make available to each other for
all types of major disasters;

(b) develop a rapid response capability based on the civil
protection modules of the Member States and for that
purpose establish a program building on the principles
of
the modules
being independent and self-sufficient units operating
under national responsibility, which could be used
alone or in addition with other contributions;

subsidiarity and complementarity,

(c) further develop training activities, exercises and the
exchange of experts to stimulate the capacity to work
together and to promote interoperability;

(d) develop at the latest by 31 December 2005, in addition
to national insignia, common EU insignia for interven-
tion and assessment/coordination personnel on site;

(e) further develop civil-military cooperation with the EU

Military Staff, in particular the Civil-Military Cell;

(f) strengthen the on site assessment of needs by devel-
oping a common assessment methodology, based on
internationally agreed methodologies where they exist,
and by reinforcing the assessment capacity;

(g) strengthen the capacity to facilitate the coordination
on site and at head quarters, both within the EU and
with relevant international organizations;

(h) reinforce the links between the Mechanism and early

warning systems at EU and UN level;

(i) further work on facilitating the transport of civil

protection assistance.

10. WELCOMES the Commission's offer to make the Moni-
toring and Information Centre (MIC) available for the Euro-
pean consular cooperation in order to support EU citizens
victims of disasters in third countries.

11. INVITES the Commission to submit as soon as possible
more complete proposals on strengthening preventive
action, inspired by the terms of the Civil Protection Action
Programme (1), the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-
2016 (2) and the European Union Action Plan on the
earthquakes and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean (3), and
enhancing detection and early warning systems in general,
and in particular
the Mediterranean Sea and the
Atlantic Ocean.

for

the latest by October 2005,

12. INVITES the Commission to submit as soon as possible,
further legislative
and at
proposals
improving civil protection cooperation,
including the Community Mechanism, taking into account
the above conclusions.

for

13. WILL RETURN to the whole issue dealing with the Euro-
pean rapid response capability before the end of 2005.

(1) Council Decision 1999/847/EC of 9 December 1999 establishing a
Community action programme in the field of civil protection (OJ L
327, 21.12.1999, p. 53), amended by Council Decision 2005/12/EC
of 20 December 2004 (OJ L 6, 8.1.2005, p. 7).

(2) Resolution on the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015:
Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,
adopted on 22 January 2005 by the World Conference on Disaster
Reduction (A.CONF.206/6).

(3) 5788/05.