Commission Recommendation of 8 February 2023 on Union disaster resilience goals 2023/C 56/01
Date: 2023-02-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Commission
Subjects: civil defence, disaster resilience, environmental risk prevention, man-made disaster, natural disaster








C_2023056EN.01000101.xml










15.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 56/1






COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
of 8 February 2023
on Union disaster resilience goals
(2023/C 56/01)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (1), and in particular Article 6(5) thereof,
Whereas:






(1)


The Union Civil Protection Mechanism (‘Union Mechanism’), established by Decision No 1313/2013/EU, aims to strengthen cooperation between the Union and the Member States and facilitate coordination in the field of civil protection to improve the effectiveness of systems for preventing, preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters.










(2)


Pursuant to Article 6(5) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, the Commission is to establish and develop Union disaster resilience goals in the area of civil protection in cooperation with Member States, and adopt recommendations to define them as a non-binding common baseline to support prevention and preparedness actions in the event of disasters which cause or are capable of causing multi-country transboundary effects.










(3)


The geographical scope of the Union disaster resilience goals covers the Union and its Member States and the Participating States to the Union Mechanism (2) pursuant to Article 4(4a) and Article 4(12), of Decision No 1313/2013/EU.










(4)


The Union is facing more frequent and severe natural and man-made disasters. Climate change and environmental degradation are exacerbating the Union’s risks by increasing the frequency and intensity of weather-related events, harmful pollution, water scarcity and biodiversity loss. Furthermore, disasters increasingly have effects across borders and sectors. In addition to claiming lives and impacting human health, disasters undermine economic prosperity and cause irreparable losses to the environment, the biodiversity and cultural heritage. Disaster resilience should therefore be strengthened at Union level and in the Member States. The Union disaster resilience goals are to contribute to strengthen disaster resilience and improve the capacity of the Union and its Member States to withstand the effects of current and future disasters. Comprehensive and integrated approaches to disaster risk management are key to strengthening resilience.










(5)


Strengthening disaster resilience should be underpinned by specific horizontal principles and approaches.










(6)


The Union disaster resilience goals annexed to this Recommendation were established in cooperation with the Member States.










(7)


Particular attention was paid to the specific needs of vulnerable groups in the establishment of the Union disaster resilience goals. Their needs should be taken into account in the implementation and review of the Union disaster resilience goals.










(8)


Synergies and complementarity with relevant international resilience frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and other sectoral Union resilience building initiatives should be sought in the implementation, and further development of the Union disaster resilience goals to improve the overall capacity of the Union and its Member States to withstand the effects of natural and man-made disasters.










(9)


Cooperation therefore needs to be deepened and expanded to national and appropriate sub-national authorities beyond the area of civil protection, as well as with essential services providers, including the transport sector, and stakeholders in the private sector, non-governmental bodies, the research community and experts in cultural heritage. The timely release of data in an accessible, interoperable and reusable way will facilitate the cross-sectoral and cross-border cooperation.










(10)


Such cooperation may also include civil-military cooperation in line with Decision 1313/2013/EU (3).










(11)


Competent authorities of Member States, the Commission and relevant Union agencies within their respective mandates should be ready to respond to different types and scales of natural and man-made disasters, including industrial, maritime and other transport-related accidents, health emergencies and crisis situations characterised by uncertainty, and disruptive events that could challenge civil protection operations or business continuity.










(12)


Pursuant to Article 6(5) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, the Union disaster resilience goals are to be based on current and forward-looking scenarios, including the effects of climate change on disaster risks, data on past events and cross-sectoral impact analysis with particular attention given to vulnerable groups. At the same time, disaster management planning and scenario-building, set out in Article 10 of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, are to take into account the work carried out in relation to the Union disaster resilience goals. The development of goals and the scenario-building are therefore closely interlinked. While scenarios will provide evidence and risk-specific information that should underpin the formulation of goals, the Union disaster resilience goals should in turn identify areas that are important for disaster resilience and thus inform scenario-building.










(13)


The Union disaster resilience goals should therefore be continuously reviewed and revised in the light of the progress made in their development and implementation, new circumstances and changing needs.










(14)


Reporting pursuant to Article 34(2) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU should provide regular information inter alia on the progress made towards the Union disaster resilience goals,




HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:

SUBJECT MATTER AND PURPOSE









1.


Pursuant to Article 6(5) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, this Recommendation establishes Union disaster resilience goals in the area of civil protection as well as general principles for their implementation, reporting and review.












2.


The Union disaster resilience goals are a non-binding common baseline to support prevention and preparedness actions in the event of disasters which cause or are capable of causing multi-country transboundary effects, to improve the capacity of the Union and its Member States to face such disasters and withstand their effects. The goals identify priority areas and related specific objectives to strengthen the disaster resilience of the Union Mechanism and of the Member States.





HORIZONTAL PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES UNDERPINNING DISASTER RESILIENCE









3.


The risk landscape is changing rapidly. The impacts of more frequent and intense natural and man-made disasters cascade across borders and sectors and cause human and economic losses. To preserve the ability of civil protection actors to effectively manage a wide range of future disruptive events, disaster resilience needs to be strengthened.












4.


Strengthening disaster resilience in the area of civil protection should be:






(a)



comprehensive: by covering the full disaster management cycle, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery;










(b)



anticipatory: by reducing underlying disaster risks where possible and ensuring adequate preparedness to respond effectively and efficiently to disasters;










(c)



cross-sectoral and transboundary: by promoting an approach that takes into consideration interdependencies between multiple risks, ensures coherence amongst relevant policy sectors and encourages cooperation between Member States sharing common risks. Cooperation and coordination should foster coherence, optimise synergies and promote consistent action across sectors, levels of governance, including regions, authorities and stakeholders.










(d)



knowledge and evidence-based: by relying on a solid understanding of disaster risks, including on the economic, environmental and social impacts of disasters. For such purpose, research and innovation should be supported and knowledge sharing, including of good practice results from research, data-exchange, continuous evaluation and learning should be fostered.










(e)



inclusive: to ensure no one is left behind by taking into account the specific needs and drivers of vulnerability of people such as gender, age, economic, educational and social background, disabilities; and geographic exposure to specific risks;










(f)



sustainable: by taking into account nature-based solutions, the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on disaster risks and the prevention and mitigation of the environmental impact of disasters paying special attention to minimising the environmental impact of civil protection operations.









THE UNION DISASTER RESILIENCE GOALS









5.


Strengthening disaster resilience in the area of civil protection calls for action in the following areas:






(a)


anticipate - improving risk assessment, anticipation and disaster risk management planning;










(b)


prepare - increasing risk awareness and preparedness of the population;










(c)


alert - enhancing early warning;










(d)


respond - enhancing the Union Mechanism response capacity;










(e)


secure - ensuring a robust Civil Protection System.
















6.


The Union disaster resilience goals listed in paragraph 5 are set out in the Annex to this Recommendation.












7.


Member States and the Commission are encouraged to take the necessary actions and measures under the Union Mechanism to achieve the Union disaster resilience goals. They are encouraged to foster cooperation with national, regional and international partners, civil society organisations and private sector stakeholders.












8.


They are encouraged to ensure synergies and complementarity with relevant international, European or national resilience frameworks, strategies, plans and programmes to further strengthen the overall capacity of the Union and the Member States to withstand the effects of disasters.












9.


In particular, in accordance with Article 6(1), point (c), of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, Member States are to take the Union disaster resilience goals and the risks related to disasters which cause or are capable of causing multi-country transboundary effects into account when they further develop and refine disaster risk management planning at national or appropriate subnational level, including as regards cross-border cooperation.












10.


Member States are encouraged to participate in the peer reviews on the assessment of risk management capability referred to in Article 6(1), point (e) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU to support the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals.












11.


The Commission, through the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network, established in accordance with Article 13 of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, and other measures under the Union Mechanism should support the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals.





REVIEW AND REPORTING









12.


The Union disaster resilience goals should be continuously reviewed and revised in the light of the progress made in their implementation and as a consequence of new circumstances and changing needs, by taking into account the scenario-building and disaster management planning referred to in Article 10(1) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU.












13.


For the purposes of the biennial reporting, pursuant to Article 34(2) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States is encouraged to establish a methodology to monitor the progress made in the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals. Such a methodology should include an analysis of the state of play and baselines for each of the areas covered by the goals and identify suitable indicators.












14.


Member States are encouraged to provide the Commission with relevant information on the implementation of the Union disaster resilience goals.





Done at Brussels, 8 February 2023.


For the Commission

Janez LENARČIČ

Member of the Commission





(1)  OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 924.

(2)  In light of Article 28(1), of Decision No 1313/2013/EU, where reference is made to Member States, it is to be understood as including Participating States as defined in Article 4(12) of Decision No 1313/2013/EU. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Türkiye are participating in the Union Mechanism.

(3)  The use of military means under civilian lead as a last resort may constitute an important contribution to disaster response. Where the use of military capacities in support of civil protection operations is considered to be appropriate, cooperation with the military should follow the modalities, procedures and criteria established by the Council or its competent bodies for making available to the Union Mechanism military capacities relevant to civil protection and should be in line with the relevant international guidelines.




ANNEX


Union disaster resilience goal No. 1: Anticipate - Improving risk assessment, anticipation and disaster risk management planning


A good understanding of existing and emerging risks is a pre-condition to prevent or mitigate the adverse consequences of disasters. Member States and the Commission should therefore continue to improve their capability to identify and assess disaster risks, particularly those with potential transboundary and cross-sectoral impacts. Europe-wide disaster scenarios should improve the Union’s capacity to anticipate future crises and risks to life and health. Member States and the Commission should also build on sector-specific and multi-sector risk assessments (1)
. Member States and the Commission should take anticipatory action by enacting concrete preventative and preparedness measures and risk management planning, at the Union and national and appropriate subnational levels. Member States should seize the support available under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (the ‘Union Mechanism’) and other Union funds (2)
to promote smart investments in disaster prevention to protect citizens from disasters, adapt to climate change and advance the green transition.


Objective: To improve, by 2030, the Union and the Member States’ capability to identify and assess relevant disaster risks with potential transboundary and cross-sectoral impacts and use that information to reinforce disaster prevention and preparedness activities, including risk reduction strategies, disaster anticipation, risk management planning as well as response activities.
To support and monitor the implementation of this goal, the following specific objectives should be pursued:

Specific objectives









1.1


To improve the Union-wide scenario-building capability:
By the end of 2023, the Commission, in cooperation with Member States should finalise the development of key transboundary cross-sectoral scenarios covering 16 main hazards to which the Union is exposed.
Member States should ensure that their disaster scenarios feed into Europe-wide scenarios.
Scenarios should inform subsequent Union and Member States’ prevention, preparedness, including disaster risk reduction strategies, disaster anticipation and risk management planning and response activities.
Beyond 2023, scenarios should be continuously updated and expanded as needed.












1.2


To improve the assessment of risk:
The Commission should further improve the Union’s overview of natural and human-made disaster risks in accordance with Article 5(1), point (c), of Decision 1313/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) in order to provide a comprehensive European perspective to disaster risk. The Union’s overview of disaster risks should build on national, sub-national and cross-border risk assessments in the area of civil protection and relevant Union-wide risk assessments (4) as well as on sector-specific and multi-sector risk assessments carried out in accordance with Union law.
The assessment of risk at Union level should be based on improved identification and cross-sectoral analysis of key and emerging risks, their cascading effects, particularly exposed or vulnerable areas and groups and consider areas in the Union facing similar risks.
Member States should further improve the assessment of risk as appropriate at national and sub-national levels and for cross-border risk. Risk assessments in Member States should follow a multi-hazard approach. Member States should include a review of emerging risks and an assessment of cross-border risks, the impacts of climate change and cascading effects. National, sub-national and cross-border risk assessments in the area of civil protection should build on and support risk assessments conducted in related policy areas.












1.3


To improve the anticipatory capability:
Member States and the Commission should further strengthen foresight and risk anticipation activities in addition to scenario-building, such as horizon-scanning, analysis and research, to allow early identification of current and new risks and challenges and to support the undertaking of adaptive, preventative or preparedness action for impending disruptive events.












1.4


To improve risk management planning:
The Commission should ensure that the Union Mechanism capacities’ needs and gaps assessment are based on cross-sectoral risk assessments and scenarios and follow a multi-hazard approach.
Member States should ensure that strategies, frameworks or risk management plans at national and as appropriate sub-national levels, follow a multi-hazard approach. The strategies, frameworks or plans should be based on relevant scenarios, cross-border and cross-sectoral cooperation and should ensure adaptation, prevention and preparedness.
Member States should further develop risk management plans for cross-border risks on the basis of improved cooperation in cross-border areas.
To that end, the Commission and Member States should take into account as appropriate, the impacts of climate change, the cascading effects of disasters and the specific needs of vulnerable groups.












1.5


To improve the capability of civil protection to develop preventative actions:
Member States’ civil protection authorities should enhance their prevention activities, including ‘build-back better’ action following disasters (5) to achieve a high level of protection against disasters.






Union disaster resilience goal No. 2: Prepare - Increasing risk awareness and preparedness of the population


A risk-aware and prepared population is a crucial component of disaster resilience because individuals and communities are often the first affected and the first to respond to disasters. Public awareness of risks and sufficient knowledge of how to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters greatly reduce the negative consequences of disasters. It should increase public knowledge of disaster risks and prevention measures; improve individuals’ and communities’ self-protection, behaviour and preparedness to respond to disasters and foster a culture of risk prevention and trust in civil protection authorities. With the support of the Commission, Member States should step up public communication efforts to bring disaster prevention and preparedness to the everyday life of citizens and promote civic engagement and volunteer-based initiatives for disaster prevention and preparedness. Member States should cooperate, as appropriate, with local and regional authorities, partners, including the private sector and civil society organisations, also in a cross-border context.


Objective: To significantly increase, by 2030, the level of disaster risk awareness and preparedness of the population of the Union in each of the Member States.
To support and monitor the implementation of this goal, the following specific objectives should be pursued:

Specific objectives









2.1


To increase the overall level of risk awareness:
Member States should further develop risk awareness raising strategies and step-up risk awareness raising actions to ensure that the level of risk awareness of regional and key national risks increases amongst the population. Risk awareness raising strategies should also cover, as appropriate, seasonal residents.
The Commission should support Member States’ risk awareness actions and complement them, where relevant, with risk awareness raising actions at Union level.






—


By 2030, 90 % of the population of the Union (6) should be well aware of disaster risks in their region.
















2.2


To improve public access to disaster risk information:
Union and Member States’ authorities should ensure that the population in the Union can easily access information on disaster risks and their possible impacts.
Union and Member States’ authorities should take the specific needs and circumstances of vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities into account when they provide disaster risk information.












2.3


To increase the awareness and adoption of risk prevention and preparedness measures amongst the population:
Member States should ensure that the population, including vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, become better aware of risk prevention measures and of the action they can take in the face of the most common disasters. As a result, the share of the population that has adopted prevention and preparedness measures should increase.
The Commission should support Member States’ risk prevention and public preparedness actions and complement them with relevant action at Union level.












2.4


To enhance the culture of risk prevention amongst the population:
Member States should take action:






(a)


to ensure that knowledge on risk prevention, trust and confidence in competent civil protection authorities and understanding of the mission of civil protection improves amongst the population;










(b)


to ensure the ability of the population to assess the reliability of disaster risk information, including the ability to identify authoritative sources of such information and alerts;










(c)


to reinforce public engagement and volunteer participation in civil protection.




The Commission should support Member States’ actions to enhance a culture of risk prevention and complement them with relevant action at Union level.






Union disaster resilience goal No. 3: Alert - Enhancing early warning


Effective early warning and monitoring systems are critical to anticipate and prepare for disasters. They help public authorities and people threatened by disasters to act in good time to minimise injury, loss of life and damage to property, the environment and cultural heritage. Early warning systems should be regularly assessed and improved at Union level and in Member States. Key functions of early warning systems, such as forecasting, detection, monitoring of hazards and their impact, and the timely and easily understandable warning of the population including of vulnerable groups, should be strengthened. The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) should proactively support Member States and assist the civil protection authorities with on-demand and rapid impact assessments for detected or forecast events.


Objective: To enhance, by 2030, the effectiveness and interoperability of early warning systems in the Union to allow a timely and effective response to disasters and avoid or reduce their adverse impacts, placing particular focus on strengthening early warning for risks with multi-country transboundary impacts and key national risks.
To support and monitor the implementation of this goal, the following specific objectives should be pursued:

Specific objectives









3.1


To improve the forecasting, detection and monitoring capability:
The Commission, notably the ERCC, relevant Union agencies and the Member States should improve their capacity to forecast, detect and monitor hazards and impacts, including through better coordination for transboundary and cross-border risks and better integration and interoperability of systems.
Detection and forecasting systems should integrate climate change and environmental degradation considerations where relevant.












3.2


To improve public warning:
Member States should enhance their public warning systems to allow better risk, emergency and crisis communication of anticipated impacts and of action to be taken. Coordination among concerned authorities and services should be fostered. Clearly established information flows and responsibilities should be defined. Public warning in Member States should be based on enhanced arrangements for warning in transboundary and cross-border disasters.
Member States should ensure that public warning takes multi-lingual needs of the population into account, is inclusive and adapted to the specific needs of vulnerable groups, including of persons with disabilities.
Alerts should reach the population at risk in a timely and effective manner.
Member States should ensure that public warning signals and messages are clearly understood by the population.






Union disaster resilience goal No. 4: Respond - Enhancing the Union Civil Protection Mechanism’s response capacity


Requests for assistance are becoming more frequent and response needs are becoming more diverse. The Union Mechanism should be prepared to respond to emerging risks and a likely increase in multi-country transboundary disasters. The Union Mechanism should therefore be strengthened with the appropriate type and number of resources to continue to effectively support Member States to respond to disasters that overwhelm their national capacities. The Union Mechanism’s response capacity needs should be regularly reviewed. The Commission together with Member States should continue to develop relevant response capacities in the European Civil Protection Pool and rescEU as needed.


Objective: To further develop, by 2024, the Union Mechanism’s response capacity in the areas of response to wildfire, flood, search and rescue needs, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events (CBRN) and emergency health. Moreover, by 2024, this goal and its specific objectives will be further developed and capacities added in areas such as temporary shelter, emergency energy supplies and transport.
To support and monitor the implementation of this goal, the following specific objectives should be pursued:

Specific objectives (7)









4.1


In the area of wildfire response (8):
The Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond to needs in six Member States simultaneously with aerial forest fire fighting capacities once national capacities are overwhelmed, for a minimum of 1 day and a maximum of 7 days.
In parallel, the Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond simultaneously to needs in four Member States with overwhelmed national response capacities with ground wildfire fighting capacities, for a minimum of 7 days and a maximum of 14 days.
Additionally, the Union Mechanism should be able to deploy firefighting advisory and assessment teams for tactical advice to two simultaneous requests for assistance due to wildfires.












4.2


In the area of flood response:
The Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond to a flooding event affecting at least three Member States simultaneously with overwhelmed national response capacities. Such response should cover at least the total capability to pump at least 20 000 m3 water/hour, for up to 21 days.
In addition, the Union Mechanism should be capable of ensuring flood containment, waste management, dam assessment and search and rescue operations in a flooding situation.












4.3


In the area of search and rescue response:
The Union Mechanism should at least be able to carry out search and rescue operations in at least four Member States simultaneously in different environments and types of disasters. Such response covers operations for 24 hours per day for 7 days in medium urban search and rescue conditions and for 10 days in heavy urban search and rescue conditions.
Additional capability should be deployable for specific mountain and cave search and rescue operations as well as experts in the areas of volcanology, seismology, dam assessment and structural engineering.












4.4


In the area of CBRN response:
The Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond to requests from three Member States simultaneously for decontamination needs for at least 14 continuous days for a total of 500 persons, including 50 injured persons, 15 000 m2 of outdoor surfaces and 200 m2 of indoor surfaces per hour, assuming that the decontamination can be performed with water, including capability to decontaminate critical equipment or evidence.
In addition, the Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond to requests from two Member States simultaneously for radiological and nuclear radiation monitoring for at least 10 continuous days for a total of 100 persons, 10 vehicles, 10 000 m2 outdoor surface and 1 000 m2 indoor surface, per hour.
Furthermore, the Union Mechanism should ensure it has the capability to provide specific CBRN related advice through deployment or reach back.












4.5


In the area of emergency health response (9):
The Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond to requests from three Member States simultaneously to respond to the need to treat for a minimum of 2 weeks a total of 800 outpatients per day, via Emergency medical team type 1 (EMT1): Outpatient Emergency Care modules, establish operating theatres for a total of 60 inpatients, via Emergency medical team type 2 (EMT2): Inpatient Surgical Emergency modules. Such response includes the minimum capability to treat 45 minor surgical operations a day for 2 weeks.
The Union Mechanism should be at least able to respond to requests from five Member States simultaneously for medical evacuation needs with a total capacity of 24 intensive care patients and 200 non-intensive care patients a day as well as six highly infectious disease patients a day for a maximum of 14 days.
The Union Mechanism should at least be able to respond to requests from three Member States simultaneously for mobile laboratory analysis, including potential CBRN capabilities, with a total capacity of 150 samples a day for a maximum period of 14 days.
In addition, the Union Mechanism, in cooperation with Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), should ensure the availability and access to critical medical countermeasures, in particular therapeutics and medical devices, to address serious cross-border health threats.
Furthermore, the Union Mechanism should be able to provide specific public health and epidemiological advice through onsite deployment of relevant experts and, as needed, through reach back expertise.






Union disaster resilience goal No. 5: Secure - Ensuring a robust Civil Protection System


The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and civil protection authorities in the Member States should continue to reinforce their business continuity. Alongside, they should adapt their business continuity planning to cross-sectoral transboundary disasters. To this end, the ERCC and civil protection authorities in the Member States should ensure cross-sectoral and cross-border cooperation and foster partnerships with partners such as the private sector, civil society and volunteer organisations. The Union Mechanism should support the conduct of stress tests to test business continuity of emergency operations centres and work with Member States on the follow-up of lessons learnt and recommendations.


Objective: To ensure, by 2027, the business continuity of the ERCC and civil protection counterparts in the Member States and to maintain their core functions, including in serious circumstances of disaster scenarios with cascading cross-sectoral and cross-border impacts, concurrent and recurrent disasters, prolonged emergencies and new emerging disaster risks.
To support and monitor the implementation of this goal, the following specific objectives should be pursued:

Specific objectives









5.1


To improve the business continuity planning capability:
The ERCC and Member States’ counterparts should regularly revise plans and procedures to make them more flexible and adaptable to the expected consequences of current and future disasters. Plans and procedures should be based on scenarios and impact analysis. They should, as appropriate, cover issues such as: staff management, regular training and exercises, supply chain management and equipment needs, stockpiling, redundancies, resilience and security of information and communications technology (ICT) systems.












5.2


To improve the cross-sectoral coordination capability:
The ERCC and Member States’ counterparts should:






(a)


enhance cross-sectoral cooperation and interoperability of procedures to allow rapid, effective and efficient scaling-up of response measures by competent civil protection authorities, other relevant services and partners, including essential service providers, civil society organisations, volunteers and academia, as appropriate;










(b)


maintain and create cross-sectoral networks and arrangements among authorities and with relevant partners in between disasters.
















5.3


To improve the cross-border coordination capability:
The ERCC and Member States’ counterparts should:






(a)


enhance cross-border cooperation and interoperability of procedures, systems and tools to allow efficient and effective information exchange, facilitate operational decision-support and Host Nation Support;










(b)


maintain and create cross-border arrangements among civil protection authorities and other relevant other services.
















5.4


To improve the disaster risk communication and information management capability:
The ERCC and Member States’ counterparts should:






(a)


enhance the interoperability of systems and procedures that support the civil protection response and the coordination of response measures across relevant authorities and partners;










(b)


ensure that communication and information management systems and procedures support coherent risk, emergency and crisis communication among relevant authorities and with relevant external partners.
















5.5


To improve the post-disaster evaluation capability:
The ERCC and Member States’ counterparts should:






(a)


carry out lessons-learnt systematically after a disaster strikes. Lessons-learnt should cover the entire disaster management cycle (prevention, preparedness response and recovery). Lessons-learnt should include civil protection authorities and, as appropriate, other relevant authorities, services and partners involved in the management of the disaster assessed;










(b)


ensure that lessons-learnt are disseminated and implemented as appropriate, across the entire disaster management cycle.










(1)  Risk assessments, at different governance levels and by different actors depending on the case, are contained for example in Directive (EU) 2022/2557 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on the resilience of critical entities and repealing Council Directive 2008/114/EC (OJ L 333, 27.12.2022, p. 164); Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 November 2022 on serious cross-border threats to health and repealing Decision No 1082/2013/EU (OJ L 314, 6.12.2022, p. 26); Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directive 96/82/EC (OJ L 197, 24.7.2012, p. 1); Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks (OJ L 288, 6.11.2007, p. 27).

(2)  Relevant Union funds are for example the Resilience and Recovery Facility, Cohesion Policy Funds, Agriculture and Rural Development Fund, the Technical Support Instrument, Horizon Europe and the LIFE programme.

(3)  Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 924).

(4)  Union-wide risk assessments include for example the European climate risk assessment, further to point 14 of the ‘Forging a climate-resilient Europe - the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change’, COM(2021) 82 final of 24 February 2021.

(5)  ‘Building-back better’ after a disaster implies that possible prevention, disaster risk reduction, greening and other sustainable development principles and design features are taken into account, instead of merely rebuilding in the same manner as before the disaster.

(6)  On the basis of the definition of population in Eurobarometer surveys in the area of civil protection: Member State residents from 15 years of age.

(7)  The definition of the specific objectives are based on the technical minimum requirements of response capacities in the given areas as defined in the relevant Commission Implementing Decisions as well as on operational experience and Member States’ expert feedback on the deployments of these capacities.

(8)  Due to production issues, it is expected that the aerial forest fire fighting capability should reach full capacity by 2030.

(9)  The emergency health response targets exclude the EMT2 rescEU capacity, which is under development and is expected to become fully operational after 2024.