Activities of Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ related to 2020/0097(COD)
Plenary speeches (2)
Amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (debate)
Union Civil Protection Mechanism (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism
Amendments (34)
Amendment 17 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In order to be better prepared when confronted with such events in the future, urgent action is required for reinforcing the Union Mechanism. The reinforcement of the Union Mechanism complements and does not substitute the mainstreaming of the principle of disaster resilience into all Union policies and Funds.
Amendment 21 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) To improve planning in prevention and preparedness, the Union should continue advocating reinforce investment in prevention of disasters across sectors, and for comprehensive risk management approaches that underpin prevention and preparedness, taking into account a multi- hazard approach, an ecosystem-based approach and the likely impacts of climate change, in close cooperation with the relevant scientific communities and key economic operators. To that effect, cross- sectoral and all-hazard approaches should be put at the forefront and be based on Union wide resilience goals feeding into a baseline definition of capacities and preparedness. The Commission is to work together with Member States and the European Parliament when defining Union wide resilience goals.
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6 b (new)
Recital 6 b (new)
(6b) In order to ensure an efficient disaster prevention, stress tests and a process for certification of the response capacities should be considered as key elements. Regular risk assessments at regional and local level are necessary so that national authorities can take measures to reinforce resilience where necessary, including by using the existing Union funds. Such risk assessments should focus on the specificities of regions, such as seismic activity, frequent floods or forest fires. Those assessments should also include the level of cross- border cooperation in order for the Union Mechanism to have detailed information on locally available capacities for a more targeted intervention.
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The Union Mechanism should continue to exploit synergies with the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection and the Union framework on critical infrastructure protection and resilience should account for the establishment of such Union wide resilience goals. Where in the process of a fitness check it is found that a Member State is lacking critical infrastructure or the quality of that infrastructure is not adequate to guarantee quick deployment of assistance, and where a Member State has shown to be unable to guarantee the quality of critical infrastructure, the Union will take action to repair and build lacking infrastructure elements, such as highways.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) In order to have the operational capacity to respond swiftly to a large-scale emergency or to a low probability event with a high impact such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union should have the possibility of acquiring, renting, leasing or contracting rescEU capacities to be able to assist Member States overwhelmed by large-scale emergencies, in line with the supporting competence in the area of civil protection and with a particular attention to vulnerable people. Those capacities are to be pre-positioned in logistical hubs inside the Union or, for strategic reasons, via trusted networks of hubs such as the UN Humanitarian Response Depots. Taking advantage of its close engagement with the authorities of Member States, the Union Mechanism should be used to collect information on the national capacities available in the Member States where the hubs are hosted and assess the preparedness of national crisis systems and civil protection authorities, so as to be able to issue concrete country-specific improvement recommendations based on collected data.
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10 a) Given the commonly agreed values of solidarity, the Union has a central role to play in accelerating progress towards achieving the goal of equitable and universal coverage of quality health services as a basis for the Union’s policies in the area of civil protection.
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) Transport services play an essential role in major international assistance operations. Therefore, the Union rules in the logistics sector should allow maximum flexibility and responsiveness in crisis situations. As demonstrated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of drivers in the Union transport sector, as well as cabotage restrictions, represent a big obstacle to quick provision of assistance. The Commission should therefore check the existing Union legislation in the logistics sector against the criteria of crisis preparedness and crisis responsiveness, introduce provisions that would suspend restrictions in the transport sector in case of natural or man-made disasters, and, where necessary, propose amendments to the existing Union legislation in the transport sector.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Given that the deployment of rescEU capacities for response operations under the Union Mechanism provides significant Union added value by ensuring an effective and fast response to people in emergencies, further visibility obligations should be made to provide Union prominence. National authorities should receive communication guidelines from the Commission for each particular intervention to ensure that the Union's role is adequately represented.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) In order to promote predictability and long-term effectiveness, when implementing Decision No 1313/2013/EU, the Commission, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and institutions, should adopt annual orand multi-annual work programmes indicating the planned allocations. This should help the Union to have more flexibility in budget execution and thereby enhance prevention and preparedness actions.
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18 a (new)
Recital 18 a (new)
Amendment 41 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18 b (new)
Recital 18 b (new)
(18b) The establishment and management of additional strategic Union reserves and stockpiles of crisis-relevant products under the EU4Health programme should be in complementarity with the reactive reserves of rescEU.
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) While prevention and preparedness measures are essential to enhance the robustness of the Union in facing natural and man-made disasters, the occurrence, timing and magnitude of disasters is by its nature unpredictable. As shown in the recent COVID-19 crisis, financial resources requested to ensure an adequate response may significantly vary from year to year and should be made available immediately. Reconciling the principle of predictability with the need to react rapidly to new needs consequently means adapting the financial implementation of the programmes. Consequently, it is appropriate to authorise carry-over of unused appropriations, limited to the following year and solely devoted to prevention, preparedness and response actions, in addition to Article 12(4) of the Financial Regulation.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point c
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 6 – paragraph 5 (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 5 (new)
5. The Commission shall define Union disaster resilience goals to support prevention and preparedness actions. Disaster resilience goals shall ensure a common baseline for maintaining critical societal functions in the face of cascading effects of a high impact disaster and for ensuring the functioning of the internal market. The goals shall be based on forward looking scenarios, including the impacts of climate change on disaster risk, data on past events and cross-sectoral impact analysis with a particular attention to vulnerable people. In the elaboration of disaster resilience goals, the Commission shall specifically focus on recurrent disasters that hit Member States' regions and suggest to national authorities concrete measures, including those to be implemented with the use of EU funds, to strengthen the resilience to crises.
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
The ERCC shall in particular coordinate, monitor and support in real-time the response to emergencies at Union level. The ERCC shall work in close contact with national crisis systems, civil protection authorities, community-level voluntary groups and relevant Union bodies.
Amendment 50 #
- to provide technical training assistance to local communities for enhancing their capacities for the first independent reaction to a crisis;
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall define, by means of implementing acts adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 33(2), the capacities rescEU shall consist of, based on the resilience goals referred to in Article 6(5), scenario-building as referred to in Article 10(1), taking into account identified and emerging risks and overall capacities and gaps at Union level, in particular in the areas of aerial forest fire fighting, seismic, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, and emergency medical response. Information on the number and classification of rescEU capacities will be regularly updated by the Commission and made directly available to other EU institutions.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3
rescEU capacities shall be hosted by the Member States that acquire, rent, lease or otherwise contract those capacities. As a way to enhance Union resilience, rescEU capacities acquired, rented, leased or otherwise contracted by the Commission are to be strategically pre-positioned inside the Union. In consultation with Member States and the European Parliament, rescEU capacities acquired, rented, leased or otherwise contracted by the Commission could also be located in third countries via trusted networks managed by relevant international organisations .;.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) To improve planning in prevention and preparedness, the Union should continue advocating reinforce investment in prevention of disasters across sectors, and for comprehensive risk management approaches that underpin prevention and preparedness, taking into account a multi- hazard approach, an ecosystem-based approach and the likely impacts of climate change, in close cooperation with the relevant scientific communities and key economic operators. To that effect, cross- sectoral and all-hazard approaches should be put at the forefront and be based on Union wide resilience goals feeding into a baseline definition of capacities and preparedness. The Commission is to work together with Member States and the European Parliament when defining Union wide resilience goals.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point b
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 12 – paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1
rescEU capacities may be deployed outside the Union in accordance with paragraphs 6 to 9 of this Article. Specific provisions shall to be put in place to guarantee accountability and the correct use of rescEU capacities in third countries, including the possibility for access by EU controlling officers. Visibility of the Union Mechanism in third countries shall be ensured in line with paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 20a of this Decision.;
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point d
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point d
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 19 – paragraphs 5 and 6
Article 19 – paragraphs 5 and 6
(d) pParagraphs 5 and 6 are deleted. replaced by the following: Percentages and principles for allocation of the financial envelope for the implementation of the Union Mechanism shall be allocated after an impact assessment and consultation of the relevant stakeholders.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 20 a – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 20 a – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Any assistance or funding provided under this Decision shall be given appropriate visibility in line with the specific guidelines issued by the Commission for concrete interventions. In particular, Member States shall ensure that public communication for operations funded under the Union Mechanism:
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) In order to have the operational capacity to respond swiftly to a large-scale emergency or to a low probability event with a high impact such as the COVID-19 pandemic for example, the Union should have the possibility of autonomously acquiring, renting, leasing or contracting rescEU capacities to be able to assist Member States overwhelmed by large- scale emergencies, in line with the supporting competence in the area of civil protection and with a particular attention to vulnerable people. Those capacities are to be pre-positioned in logistical hubs inside the Union or, for strategic reasons, via trusted networks of hubs such as the UN Humanitarian Response Depots. Union Agencies such as EMA should lead regulatory management and distribution of medical countermeasures while the ECDC should define the requirements.
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 18
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 18
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 25 – paragraph 5
Article 25 – paragraph 5
5. In addition to Article 12(4) of the Financial Regulation, commitment and payment appropriations, which have not been used by the end of the financial year for which they were entered in the annual budget shall be automatically carried over and may be committed and paid up to 31 December of the following year. The carried-over appropriations shall be used solely forfor prevention, preparedness and response actions. The carried- over appropriations shall be used first in the following financial year.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) Given the commonly agreed values of solidarity towards equitable and universal coverage of quality health services as a basis for the Union’s policies in this area and that the Union has a central role to play in accelerating progress on global health challenges, the Union Civil Protection Mechanism should, in synergy and complementarity with other relevant Union programmes, in particular EU4Health, create a better prevention, preparedness and response capacity to the situations of low probability high impact events.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) In order to promote predictability and long-term effectiveness, when implementing Decision No 1313/2013/EU, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and institutions, the Commission should adopt annual orand multi-annual work programmes indicating the planned allocations. This should help the Union to have more flexibility in budget execution and thereby enhance prevention and preparedness actions.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18 a (new)
Recital 18 a (new)
(18a) Delegated acts should define strengthened competences of leading Union Agencies to manage the rescEU capacities, lead the procurement process and to provide recommendations on specific quantities and products to be placed in geographically dispersed logistical hubs.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18 b (new)
Recital 18 b (new)
(18b) The establishment and management of additional strategic Union reserves and stockpiles of crisis relevant products under the EU4Health programme should be in complementarity with the reactive reserves of RescEU.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new)
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 9 – paragraph 10 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 10 a (new)
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 a (new)
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 11 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 2 a (new)
(7a) In Article 11, the following paragraph is inserted: ‘2a. The Commission shall facilitate the consistent implementation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism while seeking maximal administrative simplification. The Commission and the Member States shall, commensurate to their respective responsibilities, foster synergies and ensure effective coordination between the UCPM and the other Union programmes and funds, in particular EU4Health.’
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Directive No 1313/2013/EU
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall establish, within logistical hubs, European reserves of medical countermeasures and equipment which would include the medical countermeasures that respond to high impact low probability events. The Commission shall define, by means of implementing acts adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 33(2), the capacities rescEU shall consist of, based on the resilience goals referred to in Article 6(5), scenario- building as referred to in Article 10(1), taking into account identified and emerging risks and overall capacities and gaps at Union level, in particular in the areas of aerial forest fire fighting, earthquake and floods rescues, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, and emergency medical response.
Amendment 96 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point a
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3
rescEU capacities shall be hosted by the Member States that acquire, rent, lease or otherwise contract those capacities. As a way to enhance Union resilience, rescEU capacities acquired, rented, leased or otherwise contracted by the Commission are to be strategically pre-positioned inside the Union. In consultation with Member States and the European Parliament, rescEU capacities acquired, rented, leased or otherwise contracted by the Commission could also be located in third countries via trusted networks managed by relevant international organisations .;
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(8a) In Article 13(1), the following point is added: ‘(fa) create capabilities of specific response expertise which can be used in the case of disasters affecting cultural heritage.’
Amendment 103 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point b a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point b a (new)
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 19 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 3 a (new)
(ba) the following paragraph is inserted: 3a. The allocation of the financial envelope for the implementation of the Union Mechanism shall be carried out after an impact assessment and consultation of the relevant stakeholders.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 18
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 18
Decision No 1313/2013/EU
Article 25 – paragraph 4
Article 25 – paragraph 4
4. In order to implement this Decision, the Commission shall adopt annual orand multi-annual work programmes, by means of implementing acts. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 33(2). The annual orand multi-annual work programmes shall set out the objectives pursued, the expected results, the method of implementation and their total amount. They shall also contain a description of actions to be financed, an indication of the amount allocated to each action and an indicative implementation timetable. With regard to the financial support referred to in Article 28(2), the annual orand multi-annual work programmes shall describe the actions foreseen for countries referred to therein.