Procedure completed
2011/2023(INI) Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance
Lead committee dossier: ENVI/7/04687
Legal Basis RoP 052
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | AFET | TŐKÉS László (PPE) | |
| Opinion | DEVE | STRIFFLER Michèle (PPE) | |
| Lead | ENVI | GARDINI Elisabetta (PPE) | ESTRELA Edite (S&D), UGGIAS Giommaria (ALDE), OUZKÝ Miroslav (ECR) |
| Opinion | LIBE | ||
| Opinion | REGI | STAVRAKAKIS Georgios (S&D) |
Legal Basis RoP 052
Subjects
- 3.70.10 Man-made disasters, industrial pollution and accidents
- 3.70.11 Natural disasters, Solidarity Fund
- 4.30 Civil protection
- 4.70.05 Regional cooperation, transfrontier cooperation
- 6.10.05 Peace preservation, humanitarian and rescue tasks, crisis management
- 6.40.13 Relations with/in the context of international organisations: UN, OSCE, OECD, Council of Europe, EBRD
- 6.50 Emergency, food, humanitarian aid, aid to refugees
Activites
-
2011/09/27
Results of vote in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament
- Debate in Parliament
-
T7-0404/2011
summary
The European Parliament adopted a resolution in response to the Commission communication entitled: ‘Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance’.The resolution states that there has been a dramatic increase in the number and severity of these natural and man-made disasters affecting the Union and its citizens, as well as other countries and regions around the world, as tragically demonstrated by the recent severe catastrophe in Japan. The recent tragedies, such as the Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods, have demonstrated that the main tools available to the EU for responding to disasters (humanitarian aid and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism) proved to be working well for what they were designed for and given the circumstances, but whereas there is a vital need to further reinforce the coordination of the response to disasters affecting the European Union, both within and outside its borders.(1) A qualitative shift:Memberswelcome the communication and its objectives. They support the Commission’s proposal to establish a European emergency response capacity, including arrangements to guarantee the more predictable availability of Member States’ key assets. They endorse the need for a qualitative shift from the current ad hoc coordination to a predictable and pre-planned system within the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.The Commission is called upon to bring forward proposals as soon as possible for establishing an EU civil protection force, based on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and enabling the Union to bring together the resources necessary for providing civil protection and immediate emergency relief aid to the victims.According to Members, the European disaster response should build both on a European emergency response capacity through the strengthening of the European Civil Protection Mechanism based on the capacities and availability of pre-identified and therefore predictable Member States’ emergency assets and on a European emergency response centre as the cornerstones of such a strategy. They underline that these developments should follow an all-hazards approach, bringing together all relevant players – in particular civil society – including non-governmental organisations and volunteers, for joined-up action, and should exploit synergies among the various existing tools and instruments.The resolution emphasises that the European disaster response system should respect the principle of subsidiarity both of the Member States (who should be able to use their own assets, especially in any case of conflicting national needs) and of the United Nations.The Commission is invited, when setting up the European disaster response capability, to take into account the Solidarity Clause and its implementation arrangements, which need to be adopted as a matter of urgency and which will ensure a more effective and coherent response to disasters inside and outside the European Union.(2) European Emergency Response Capacity: Parliament considers that the pool of pre-identified capacities, resources and assets made available on a voluntary basis for EU disaster relief interventions, both inside and outside the Union, will constitute the nucleus of the EU relief capability, which could be complemented by additional ad hoc offers from the Member States. The resolution recommends that a clear and detailed scheme of incentives should be designed in order to permit Member States to commit sufficient capacities to the voluntary pool without increasing the overall spending of the Member States.Members call on the Commission, along with the Member States, to identify existing capacity gaps. The creation of EU-level assets should be considered, avoiding any form of competition and/or overlap with national assets, in order to fill existing capacity gaps where they would result in significant savings for the EU as a whole or enable access to assets that are not available for Member States acting alone, thus offering a good model for burden-sharing.The resolution considers: (i) advanced planning and the preparation of operations by developing reference scenarios; (ii) mapping Member States’ assets potentially available for deployment in EU disaster relief operations and (iii) contingency planning as key elements of an enhanced EU disaster response and essential for rapid deployment and immediate appropriate response to each emergency. Members call in particular for adequate planning for specific contingencies to respond to manmade disasters related to oil spills, nuclear installations or involving hazardous substances both on land and at sea.(3) European Emergency Response Centre: Members welcome the Commission’s decision to merge the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) and ECHO humanitarian aid crisis room to create a genuine 24/7 Emergency Response Centre as a planning and operational coordination platform as a step in the right direction and call for this also to be implemented in real-time cooperation by the Member States, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, in the areas of monitoring, issuing early-warnings and sounding the alarm. They call for an effective merging of the ECHO crisis room and the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), whilst ensuring adequate funding.The Commission is called upon to: (i) actively involve the new European Emergency Response Centre in the two Community tools to protect forests from forest fires: EFFIS and EFFICS; (ii) coordinate actions in case of emergency, simplifying and optimising the existing universal service and the 112 emergency number.(4) Disaster Response, preparedness and prevention: the resolution stresses the vital need to complement the policy for enhancing the EU’s emergency reaction capacity by stepping up the EU’s and Member States’ risk prediction and prevention policies. Parliament encourages the Commission to prepare a comprehensive and innovative EU strategy on disaster risk reduction. It calls for sufficient resources to be dedicated to early identification of possible disasters and ask the Commission to ensure that the revision of the Structural Funds and the Solidarity Fund are used to encourage the development of policies and investments in these areas.The Commission should present a proposal, similar to the Floods Directive, to promote the adoption of an EU policy on water scarcity, drought and adaptation to climate change. Members also reiterate, in this context, the importance of establishing the European Drought Observatory, which would be responsible for studying, mitigating and monitoring the effects of drought. Members consider that the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) can constitute an important instrument for further strengthening transnational, cross-border and interregional cooperation, even with countries which are not EU Member States.Lastly, the resolution calls for a comprehensive communications strategy, involving all EU institutions, Member States, social partners and civil society that will improve the overall visibility and transparency of European actions in beneficiary countries as well as among European citizens, while ensuring that disaster relief is never subordinate to trading or political and strategic concerns.
- 2011/07/19 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
-
2011/07/13
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
- #3085
-
2011/05/12
Council Meeting
-
3085
summary
At the request of Belgium and in light of the nuclear accident in Japan, the Council was briefed by the Commission on the situation in Japan, and had an exchange of views on how existing preparedness and response mechanisms to nuclear incidents could be strengthened, mainly within the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.The suggestions presented by Belgium include:to more closely involve national and international nuclear authorities in the activities of the work of the EU's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC);to identify and improve reference scenarios for nuclear incidents (such as Chernobyl, Fukushima and others) and the specific means necessary to respond;to give priority to certain reference scenarios based on comprehensive and high quality risk assessments, alongside a more predictable availability of member states key assets (e.g. iodine tablets, alternative cooling systems, decontamination units, nuclear experts, robot modules etc.), including through the possible creation of an assets pool.With a view to improving civil protection operations, the Commission had proposed last yearthe development of reference scenarios for the main types of disasters, including CBRN(Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) and cross-border terrorist attacks, inside and out the EU (see COM(2010)0600).In addition, the existing Civil Protection legislation is currently subject to a review. A legislative proposal is expected to be presented by the Commission later this year.
-
3085
summary
-
2011/02/17
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
-
2010/10/26
Non-legislative basic document published
-
COM(2010)0600
summary
PURPOSE: to propose a strategy with a view to improving the European Union’s disaster response.BACKGROUND: whether it is an earthquake in Haiti or floods in Pakistan, the EU Member States and EU institutions have responded well to the many disasters that have struck this year, both in the EU and further afield. The quality of this response has helped to demonstrate to EU citizens and Member States the added value brought by EU actions in the field of crisis response.At the same time, demands on the EU’s disaster response capacity are likely to increase, as disasters continue to grow both in size and frequency. Current budgetary pressures also call for further efforts to promote an efficient use of scarce resources.The Lisbon Treaty offers an opportunity to build a stronger, more comprehensive, better coordinated and more efficient disaster response capacity in the European Union drawing on the following guiding principles:the EU should be able to respond effectively and in a spirit of solidarity to disasters both inside and outside the EU;the EU disaster response capacity should address all types of disasters (i.e. natural and man-made, other than armed conflicts) that overwhelm national response capacities and result in a need for EU assistance;a fully coherent approach for disasters outside the EU will need to bring together the different constituencies that could possibly be deployed (depending on the nature of the crisis);when responding specifically to humanitarian needs caused by disasters outside the EU, EU assistance is bound to act in accordance with internationally agreed humanitarian principles;an approach that balances response with disaster prevention and preparedness is the best way to respond to the increasing threats posed by disasters.Improved cost effectiveness can be achieved through a better pooling of assets in order to reduce costs and avoid a duplication of efforts.CONTENT: building on the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid (2007),the Communication on Reinforcing the Union's Disaster Response Capacity (2008), this communication focuses on civil protection and humanitarian aid which are the two main instruments at the EU’s disposal to ensure rapid and effective delivery of EU relief assistance to people faced with the immediate consequences of disasters.This Communication should be seen as the first building block of a broader and more coherent effort towards a strengthened EU disaster response. Legislative texts will be proposed in 2011 to implement the key proposals.The Communication proposes:1) The creation of a European Emergency Response Capacity based on pre-committed Member States' assets and pre-agreed contingency plans: the EU needs to shift from ad hoc coordination to a system where advance planning allows core assets to be available for immediate deployment. In order to improve planningof EU civil protection operations, the Commission proposes to: i) develop reference scenarios for the main types of disasters (including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) and cross-border terrorist attacks) inside and outside the EU; ii) identify and map key existing assets that could be made available by Member States for the EU emergency response to these scenarios; iii) develop contingency plans for the deployment of these assets.To enhance the availability of key assets, the Commission proposes a pooling of pre-identified civil protection assets from the states participating in the Civil Protection Mechanism that are voluntarily made available for EU disaster relief operations both inside and outside the Union.The Commission also proposes: improving the prepositioning of relief assets by reinforcing the rapid availability of assets for humanitarian actors in external emergencies;ensuring that needs are assessed on time and with precision so that decisions on the assistance to be provided are based on reliable information;deployment of the Technical Assistance and Support Teams more systematically, especially in situations where local infrastructure has collapsed, and develop contractual arrangements to ensure their guaranteed availability;simplification and reinforcement of existing arrangements for the pooling and cofinancing of transport assets to ensure the delivery of aid to the countries affected, as well as its delivery to the precise area where it is most required; the development of the European Emergency Response Centre as the Commission's operational emergency relief interface with the CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) coordination tools.2) The development of an Emergency Response Centre: the Commission will merge the Civil Protection and the DG ECHO crisis rooms to create a genuine 24/7 European Emergency Response Centre. The centre will ensure a continuous exchange of information with both the civil protection and humanitarian aid authorities on the needs for assistance and the offers made by EU Member States and other actors. This will ensure that Member States can make informed decisions on funding and offering additional assistance. The centre will also develop reference scenarios for the main types of disasters inside and outside the EU.Stronger EU co-ordination will reinforce the UN’s role by ensuring a coherent EU contribution to UN-led relief efforts. It is also important that EU funding, through international and local partner organisations, is properly acknowledged and visible in situ (except in cases where the presence of EU symbols would make the delivery of aid more difficult) and on the internet.
- DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/echo/', 'title': 'Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection'}, GEORGIEVA Kristalina
-
COM(2010)0600
summary
Documents
- Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2010)0600
- Debate in Council: 3085
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0283/2011
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0404/2011
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 166 |
2011/2023(INI)
2011/05/13
ENVI
102 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to Article 122 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the increasing rate of climate change and depletion of other natural capital will further raise the likelihood of more frequent and more intense natural disasters;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Reiterates, likewise, its call for the Commission to submit a directive on preventing and managing fires, which should include the regular collection of data, preparation of maps and identification of areas at risk, preparation of fire risk management plans, identification by the Member States of the resources allocated and facilities available, coordination of the various administrations, minimum requirements for training crews, and establishment of environmental responsibility and the corresponding penalties;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Disaster Response, preparedness and prevention 20. Urges the Commission to further develop and strengthen activities aimed at enhancing the EU's and Member States' prevention and preparedness for disasters; Encourages the Commission to prepare comprehensive and innovative EU strategy on Disaster Risk Reduction. For internal actions, asks the Commission to ensure that the revision of the Structural Funds and the Solidarity Fund are used encourage the development of policies and investments in these areas.
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Calls on the Commission to foster, by means of training and with the involvement also of schools and specific voluntary associations, those actions geared to developing in EU citizens, from a young age, that culture of planning, prevention and resilience which is a prerequisite for optimising civil protection work;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the recent tragedies, notably the Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods, have demonstrated that the main tools available to the EU for responding to disasters (humanitarian aid and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism) proved to be working well for what they were designed for and given the circumstances, but whereas there is
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the recent tragedies, notably the Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods, have demonstrated that the main tools available to the EU for responding to disasters (humanitarian aid and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism) proved to be working well for what they were designed for and given the circumstances, but whereas there is a need to further reinforce the coordination of the response to disasters of the European Union, both within and outside its borders, as well as scope for improvement in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and visibility of the EU assistance as a whole,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the recent tragedies,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas, moreover, during a number of crises, particularly the tsunami of 26 December 2004, many questions were raised about the lack of systematic scenarios or protocols at European level for responding to these seven major risks and the inadequate visibility of Europe's action in relation to the overall effort,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas in 2008, the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) acknowledged the link between disaster risk reduction and climate change in the Bali Action Plan,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas in 2010, the UNFCCC Cancun Adaptation Framework formally recognised disaster risk reduction as an essential element of climate change adaptation and encouraged governments to consider linking adaptation measures to Hyogo Framework for Action,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, often cutting across states borders and resulting in severe economic, environmental and social damage,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 b (new) - having regard to Article 222 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (the solidarity clause) which lays down that ‘the Union and the Member States shall act jointly in a spirit of solidarity if a Member State is the object of a terrorist attack or victim of a natural or man-made disaster’,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the Solidarity Clause under Article 222 of the TFEU establishes the obligation for Member States to assist each other in the event of a natural or man made disaster on EU territory,
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas immediate coordination, coherence and communication within the EU and with international actors is crucial,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas political co
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas a culture of disaster prevention and preparedness should be mainstreamed in development policies, plans and programme, in order to address some underlying causes of disaster,
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas real-time prevention needs to be developed at all operational stages: monitoring, including through use of satellite data, issuing early-warnings, sounding the alarm and subsequently responding and assisting the population potentially at risk;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the EU supports the central role of the United Nations, in particular that of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in coordinating international relief in third countries
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas an integrated European all- hazards approach aimed at responding to crises at all stages of their life cycle is the most effective strategy to deal with disasters; whereas this approach should link
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas an integrated all-hazards approach linking disaster prevention (including mitigation and risk reduction),
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 c (new) - having regard to Article 23 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas an integrated all-hazards approach linking disaster prevention (including mitigation and risk reduction), preparedness, response and recovery is the most effective strategy to deal with disasters; whereas it is of great importance to put in place operational tools such as an operational risk prevention plan (including reference procedures and planning tools) and whereas there is a need for the EU to make real investments in the prevention and prediction of risks,
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas an integrated all-hazards approach linking disaster prevention (including mitigation and risk reduction), preparedness, response and recovery is the most effective strategy to deal with
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas the Regulation establishing the Solidarity Fund contains prior conditions which hinder and delay the Fund's use in certain disaster situations, particularly in relation to the amounts and types of eligible expenditure, as well as the inflexibility of the deadlines and procedures,
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas, during a crisis, it is essential for rescue teams to have access to precise information as soon as possible so as to distribute basic necessities, equipment and critical resources, and whereas therefore telecommunications are the most important link in the crisis management chain,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas conventional communications links and resources may be overwhelmed or destroyed in a crisis situation,
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council entitled ‘Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance’ and its objectives; emphasises that the proposals outlined in the Communication should be further examined to fulfil the expectations for an enhanced, coordinated, consistent, effective, cost-efficient and visible European response;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council entitled ‘Towards a stronger European disaster response: the role of civil protection and humanitarian assistance’ and its objectives; emphasises that the proposals outlined in the Communication should be further examined to fulfil the expectations for an enhanced, effective, cost-efficient
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls for the principle of subsidiarity to be respected in regard to the capability of Member States to use their own assets, specifically when national emergencies occur that justify this;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the need to rationalise and simplify the
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Reiterates the need for the Solidarity Fund Regulation to be revised so as to adapt the eligibility criteria to the characteristics of each region and each disaster, including slowly evolving disasters such as drought, and enable mobilisation to be more flexible and timely;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 d (new) - having regard to the 1994 Oslo Guidelines on the use of foreign military and civil defence assets in disaster relief,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Reasserts that disaster preparation, prevention and response cannot be dissociated one from one another and that it would therefore be advisable to consolidate an integrated approach to tackling catastrophes;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Endorses the need for a qualitative shift from the current ad hoc coordination to a predictable and pre-planned system within the EU Civil Protection Mechanism based on pre-identified assets available for immediate deployment in EU disaster relief operations; stresses the need to introduce a system for monitoring, supervising and developing EU action in disaster relief operations;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Endorses the need for a qualitative shift from the current ad hoc coordination to a predictable and pre-planned system within the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, based on pre-identified assets available for immediate deployment in EU disaster relief operations
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Underlines the need for collection and dissemination of solid and comparable information on the frequency of occurrence, risks and the associated consequences of disasters; notes that preventing disasters is often more cost- effective than combating them;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls once again on the Commission to bring forward proposals as soon as possible for establishing an EU Civil Protection Force based on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and enabling the Union to bring together the resources necessary for providing i
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls once again on the Commission to bring forward proposals as soon as possible for establishing an EU Civil Protection Force based on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and enabling the Union to bring together the resources necessary for providing civil protection and immediate emergency relief aid to the victims; believes that the EU response should build on the existing roles and capacities of European civil protection forces and ensure that current gaps and bottlenecks are addressed;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls once again on the Commission to bring forward proposals as soon as possible for establishing an EU Civil Protection Force based on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and enabling the Union to bring together the resources necessary for providing immediate emergency relief aid to the victims both inside and outside the EU;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Agrees that the European disaster response should build both on a European Emergency Response Capacity through the strengthening of the European Civil Protection Mechanism based on pre- identified and therefore predictable Member States' emergency assets and on a European Emergency Response Centre as the cornerstones of such a strategy as outlined in the Communication of 26 October 2010; underlines that these developments should follow an all-hazard approach, bringing together all relevant players for joined-up action, and should exploit synergies among the various existing tools and instruments, whilst making full use of existing monitoring and prevention tools such as those provided by GMES, INSPIRE and GALILEO programmes (especially in-situ observation devices);
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Agrees that the European disaster response should build both on a European Emergency Response Capacity through the strengthening of the European Civil Protection Mechanism based on pre- identified and therefore predictable Member States' emergency assets and on a European Emergency Response Centre as the cornerstones of such a strategy as outlined in the Communication of 26 October 2010; underlines that these developments should follow an all-hazard approach, bringing together all relevant players, in particular civil society, including non-governmental organisations and volunteers, for joined- up action, and should exploit synergies among the various existing tools and instruments;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to Article 222 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the solidarity clause,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Agrees that the European disaster response should build both on a European Emergency Response Capacity through the strengthening of the European Civil Protection Mechanism based on the capacities and availability of pre-
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls for use to be made of the European Union’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme to monitor areas potentially at risk and thus prepare more effectively to provide disaster relief to the victims;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Further calls for the EU’s disaster reaction capacity to make use of Europe’s outermost regions and overseas territories which can form bases for facilitating logistics operations and for pre- positioning its resources in every ocean;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Commission to also elaborate proposals concerning possible economic incentives based on the polluter pays principle in order to set up efficient financial mechanisms for an immediate and effective disaster prevention.
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Considers that the ‘all hazards’ approach should go hand in hand with greater flexibility in reacting to the different categories of risk, which need to be considered on a case-by-case basis, which in turn calls for the development of decentralised capacity for analysis and the planning of measures required in the light of the nature, probability and seriousness of the risks;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the Commission to include prevention in existing lessons-learnt exercises following interventions conducted within the framework of the Community Mechanism for civil protection, and make best use of the existing lessons-learnt programme, in order to enhance disaster prevention measures, as called for by the Council in its draft conclusions on a Community framework on disaster prevention within the EU (doc. 15394/09 of 12 November 2009);
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Calls on the Commission to draw up and forward to Parliament a list of Community instruments funding disaster prevention activities, with a view to evaluating the possibility of incorporating disaster prevention programmes to a greater extent in existing EU funding programmes, as requested by the Council in its draft conclusions on a Community framework on disaster prevention within the EU (doc. 15394/09 of 12 November 2009);
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid signed on 18 December 2007 by the Presidents of the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Commission,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Notes that disasters often have a cross-border nature and calls for an enhanced cooperation at EU level, in line with the principle of solidarity; notes further that coordinated action through the dissemination of technical and scientific information, and the sharing of best practices are essential elements of an effective disaster prevention and response policy;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Believes that particular attention should be paid to fires, for which targeted strategies and actions are needed;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Affirms the need to adhere to polluter pays principle as regards liability for environmental damage and recovery of costs related to disaster response from private entities responsible for damage;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Considers that the pool of pre-identified capacities, resources and assets made available on a voluntary basis for EU disaster relief interventions, both
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Considers that the pool of pre-identified assets made available on a voluntary basis for EU disaster relief interventions, both inside and outside the Union, will constitute the nucleus of the EU relief capability, which could be complemented by additional ad hoc offers from the Member States; recommends that a clear and detailed scheme of incentives should be designed in order to permit Member States to commit sufficient capacities to the voluntary pool without increasing the overall spending of the Member States;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. asks for the creation, within the future EU Civil Protection Force, of specific mechanisms which enable the EU to face massive pollutions cases caused by oil and gas offshore installations;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Underlines that a stronger EU disaster response capacity will provide a coherent EU contribution to the overall UN-led relief efforts and coordination role.
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Affirms that EU-funded assets managed by Member States should further supplement the Member States’ assets available for the relief operations; notes that these should build on models developed through p
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers advance planning and the preparation of operations by developing reference scenarios, mapping Member States’ assets potentially available for deployment in EU disaster relief operations and contingency planning as key elements of an enhanced EU disaster response and essential for rapid deployment and immediate appropriate response to each emergency; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement these measures immediately and without prejudice to other actions; calls, finally, on the Commission to launch a feasibility study on the merits of setting up, allocating European research budget funding to, and naming European reference laboratories to combat bioterrorism and identify victims;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Calls for sufficient resources to be dedicated to early identification of possible disasters as they unfold to facilitate early response;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the European Union and its Member States are faced with seven major risks: earthquakes and tsunamis; fires, including forest fires; flooding and landslides; industrial and nuclear accidents; terrorist attacks; natural disasters; and major pandemics; whereas there has been a dramatic increase in the number and severity of these natural and man-made disasters affecting the Union and its citizens, as well as other countries and regions around the world, as tragically demonstrated by the recent severe catastrophe in Japan which was hit by a combination of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe, with a corresponding increase in the loss of life and in economic, social and environmental damage and damage to cultural heritage,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls in particular for adequate planning for specific contingencies related to man-made disasters related to oil spills, nuclear installations or involving hazardous substances both on land and at sea;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to merge the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) and ECHO humanitarian aid crisis room to create a genuine 24/7 Emergency Response Centre as a planning and operational coordination platform as a step in the right direction and calls for this to be implemented also in real-time cooperation by the Member States, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, on monitoring, issuing early- warnings and sounding the alarm; calls on the Commission to strengthen the Centre to enable it to serve as the central hub for prompt and effective coordination of all European in-kind assistance as well as financial humanitarian aid contributions; stipulates that it should function as the
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls on the Commission to actively involve the new European Emergency Response Centre in the two Community tools to protect forests from forest fires, EFFIS and EFFICS;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Calls for an effective merging of the ECHO crisis room and the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC)
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Insists that decisions on deploying assets from the pool of assets be made quickly by the Emergency Response Centre along with Member States, in order to ensure predictable, immediate and effective assistance to victims and avoid delays, duplications and overlaps;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Believes that a list of the key assets that could be made available by Member States for the EU emergency response to these scenarios should be identified and mapped.
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15.
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas there has been a dramatic increase in the number and severity of natural and man-made disasters affecting the Union and its citizens, as well as other countries and regions around the world, as tragically demonstrated by the recent severe catastrophe in Japan which was hit by a combination of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe, with a corresponding increase in the loss of life and in economic, social and environmental damage and damage to cultural heritage
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Underlines the need for flexible, simple and rapid inter-service coordination; stresses that this should only involve the relevant services, which should respond within a very short timeframe whilst avoiding red tape, so that Europe’s response to emergency situations is as effective as possible;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Emphasises the increased risk of disasters caused by forest fires, primarily because of climate change which is instrumental in the outbreak of large forest fires; calls on the Commission to set up a special unit within its new European Emergency Response Centre to deal with this risk;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls for shared, effective logistics arrangements, notably including the EU- funded all-purpose Technical Assistance and Support Teams (TAST) that could support any EU or Member States' officials and teams on the ground, notably in cases of collapsed local infrastructure, furthermore recommends a greater emphasis on civil-military cooperation in particular with regard to military logistics in disaster response activities;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls for technical assistance and support teams to be mobilised in the event of disasters and for recommendations to be made on the way in which those teams can provide more effective support to those affected by disasters;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17.
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of equipping the EU with a dedicated and secure telecommunications capacity and integrated crisis management solutions ranging from prevention to recovery;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Calls therefore on the Commission to make optimum use of the existing and future solutions and capacity provided by telecommunications satellites in order to facilitate the development of services for citizens in the fields of public security and emergency response, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, Member States and stakeholders (private operators, the industry);
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Calls for a comprehensive communications strategy, involving all EU institutions
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas situations of extreme drought and forest fires have increased in frequency and scale in Europe, which means that the relevant scientific research needs to be further developed, with a view to improving risk assessment mechanisms, systems of prevention and means of combating these phenomena,
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Calls for a comprehensive communications strategy, involving all EU institutions and Member States, that will improve the overall visibility of the European actions
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Calls for a comprehensive communications strategy, involving all EU institutions and Member States, that will improve the overall visibility of the European actions, while ensuring that disaster relief is never subordinate to trading or political and strategic concerns;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop a clear information and prevention system for all European citizens when they travel; proposes, to this end, that European passports bear the numbers of the crisis units in each of the Member States and a reference to Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which lays down that ‘every citizen of the Union shall, in the territory of a third country in which the Member State of which he is a national is not represented, be entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State (...)’.
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls for any communications strategy to ensure a clear distinction between humanitarian assistance and any military activities, especially in regions outside the EU;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Emphasises that information is another vital component in building capacity on disaster reduction at all levels and that the changing risk landscape requires a continuous updating of knowledge, data and related analytical tools; therefore calls for greater availability and systematic dissemination of information and expertise, including studies of lessons learnt;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Highlights the need to promote campaigns to raise awareness of the procedures to be adopted when faced with disaster situations, paying particular attention to training young people, from school age on;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls for efforts to communicate the pan-European emergency call number ‘112’ more effectively to European citizens and third-country nationals in the EU, particularly by making use of the written and audiovisual media and public notices, so that all citizens can use it automatically to report any disaster that occurs on the territory of the EU;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. C
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls for regular training for all experts involved to enhance the interoperability of different assets, as well as for further research and analysis of potential or identified gaps, in this framework recommends joint disaster response exercises between civil and military logistic units;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) source: PE-464.916
2011/05/26
AFET
17 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A (new) A. whereas pooling of resources, whether by the 30 countries participating in Community Civil Protection Mechanism (EU-27, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Croatia) or for the purposes of enhanced cooperation among Member States, could constitute an asset in both operational and financial terms,
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that, as a last resort and in compliance with the Oslo Guidelines, the use of military means under civilian oversight often constitutes an important contribution to disaster response, particularly for specialised assets, strategic lift or heavy engineering; stresses that the coordination of the use of all the capabilities available – civil and military – and Member States’ crisis management assets should be enhanced in order to avoid costly duplications;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Commission, along with Member States, to identify existing capacity gaps and to develop a time-frame and clear targets for Member States to adequately develop their disaster response capabilities in order to ensure fair burden-sharing between Member States, while the creation of additional EU-level assets should only be considered where they would result in considerable synergies for the EU as a whole;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Insists
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Insists on the need to develop a comprehensive communication strategy to project a common and coherent image of the EU’s disaster response, consistent with its values and policies, in order to increase the visibility of the EU in beneficiary countries as well as a better understanding of EU action among European citizens; points to the need to set up an EU civil protection force and act upon Parliament’s repeated calls to implement the proposals set out in the 2006 Barnier report; stresses that the European Union should reaffirm through disaster relief the commitment of the European people to the value of solidarity;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes that although it served to deploy two modules (a water purification unit and an advanced medical post), the activation of the Civil Protection Mechanism at the time of the Haitian earthquake highlighted the weaknesses of the current system, which, relying as it does on voluntary contributions and on the various forms of national decision- taking, still needs to be improved in terms of effectiveness, responsiveness, and visibility;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Calls on the Council and Commission to pool logistic and human resources for the purpose of disaster response training with a view ultimately to establishing a European civil protection force staffed by the most suitable personnel, which could be deployed both within and outside the EU and would be called upon to handle emergency relief in the 24 hours following a disaster;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Points out that the cross-border nature of disasters implies that the EU should coordinate its resources and work with third countries, not least in its neighbourhood where UfM countries are concerned;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Recalls the central role of the United Nations in coordinating the disaster response efforts of the international community.
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses th
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses the new role granted by the Treaty of Lisbon to the High Representative/Vice President of
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the need
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the need to enhance coherence in the use of the different EU civil instruments,
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the need to enhance coherence in the use of the different EU instruments, some of which fall under the responsibility of the HR/VP, such as the Instrument for Stability, as well as to improve coordination with Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) civil or military missions which are already on the ground or which could be set up in the aftermath of a disaster; points out in addition that under Article 214 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon, a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps is to be set up; and insists on the linkage between crisis prevention, disaster response and post- disaster reconstruction;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the need to enhance coherence in the use of the different EU instruments, some of which fall under the responsibility of the HR/VP
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the need to enhance coherence in the use of the different EU instruments, some of which fall under the responsibility of the HR/VP, such as the Instrument for Stability, as well as to
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that
source: PE-464.910
2011/05/27
DEVE
6 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Reiterates that the European Union should respect humanitarian principles (humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence) to meet humanitarian needs outside the EU and that the use of civil protection resources must be needs-based and must complement and be consistent with humanitarian aid, with a view to the subsequent medium and long-term development strategies; emphasises that these principles are not dogma but stem from operational efficiency considerations;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the importance of developing relief asset pre-positioning capacities in order to improve the speed at which humanitarian organisations respond to disasters; notes that the development of depots/hubs reflects the effectiveness of this approach in terms of speed, quality and cost efficiency, and calls on the Commission to continue to provide financial support in this field;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the importance of developing relief asset pre-positioning capacities in order to improve the speed at which humanitarian organisations respond to disasters; notes that the development of depots/hubs reflects the effectiveness of this approach in terms of speed, quality and cost efficiency, and calls on the Commission to continue to provide financial support in this field; highlights the importance of flexibility in terms of coordination and resource management in ensuring the speed and adequacy of humanitarian assistance and disaster response;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls for an increase in funding and the development of capabilities and resources in order to ensure that humanitarian aid and civil protection remain purely civilian tasks;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Reaffirms that a formal distinction needs to be maintained between the remits of military and humanitarian bodies; urges that only civilian disaster protection and humanitarian aid capabilities should be developed and expanded with a view to optimising the coordination and implementation of EU disaster management, so that effective civilian disaster and emergency aid can be provided;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) source: PE-465.024
2011/05/30
REGI
41 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Invites the Commission, when setting up the European disaster response, to take into account the Solidarity Clause and its implementation arrangements, which
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to aim towards an additional EU involvement in terms of resources and capacities for disasters taking place within the EU and directly affecting its citizens and, incidentally, EU taxpayers, and to ensure that appropriate and effective assistance reaches the people affected by disasters without delay;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. In this context, reiterates its call to use existing EU resources and pool the requisite resources for providing emergency humanitarian assistance to disaster victims, such as the EU Solidarity Fund; urges the Commission to present a new proposal enabling the EU’s Solidarity Fund to increase its flexibility and to simplify its administrative rules, while keeping in mind its original objective of allowing ‘a rapid decision to be taken to commit specific financial resources and mobilise them as quickly as possible’; underlines the need to simplify the functioning of the current European disaster response and to optimise the available resources, in the common interest, whilst encouraging all Member States to contribute and thus guarantee European solidarity; endorses the need for a qualitative shift from the current ad hoc coordination to a predictable and pre- planned system within the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, based on pre- identified assets available for immediate deployment in EU disaster relief operations;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Emphasises the importance of identifying and mapping the resources available in the Member States and, alongside measures aimed at improving coordination and availability, to use the results of this exercise to identify shortcomings and pinpoint where the EU needs to provide the Member States with practical help to optimise and offset their positioning; considers that a mobile European rapid response unit could be set up to assist the Member States in their response to disasters by providing supplementary resources; considers that this type of mobile European unit, capable of responding rapidly to risks of flooding, major fires and natural disasters (seismic and volcanic threats, hurricanes, tidal waves and storms) as well as accidents at sea, could prove to represent genuine European added value, the symbolic force of which would be all the greater for the fact that it would offer European citizens support in their hour of need;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls for administrative procedures to be simplified in order to speed up payments from the Solidarity Fund, thereby ensuring that those in need receive payments immediately;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recalls that the Lisbon Treaty has introduced the concept of Territorial cohesion, and extended the subsidiarity principle to the regional and local authorities and that in that respect, any assessment of an European disaster response should take into account the crucial role they play in the disaster management cycle, especially given that in a large number of Member States’ legislative powers are organised on a local or regional basis;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Supports the aim of European Commission for a better utilization of the existing resources in order to avoid additional financial and administrative red tape, especially in the context of regional and local administration;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Explicitly adheres to the principles of solidarity and mutual assistance in the event of disaster, as laid down in numerous multinational and bilateral agreements and given expression in the many cases of practical inter-regional intervention; sees the many facets of interregional cooperation across national borders as evidence of the particularly important contribution made by the regions with regard to rapid assistance for purposes of civil protection; considers that this fruitful cooperation extends, inter alia, to the shared aim of mapping risks and assessing potential threats;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Underlines that the structured analysis of primary situation and potential defects is the starting point; therefore it is a very important task to identify available resources of Member States and to map them. It is also important to identify defects in resources, to clarify how EU precisely could contribute to Member State’s efforts to improve their stand-by;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Invites the Commission, when setting up the European disaster response, to take into account the Solidarity Clause and its implementation arrangements, which are due to be adopted; considers that there is room to improve the overall effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and visibility of the assistance provided; considers that an integrated all-hazards approach linking disaster prevention (including mitigation and risk reduction), preparedness, response and recovery is the most effective strategy for dealing with disasters;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Supports the Commission’s efforts to include prevention aspects in its disaster response since the very beginning; points out, therefore, that regional and local authorities play a key role in disaster prevention by implementing, through the Cohesion Policy, risk prevention strategies at territorial level;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Supports the Commission’s efforts to include prevention aspects in its disaster response
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Supports the Commission’s efforts to include prevention aspects in its disaster response since the very beginning; points out, therefore, that regional and local authorities play a key role in disaster prevention by implementing, through the Cohesion Policy, risk prevention strategies
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Supports the Commission’s efforts to include prevention aspects in its disaster response
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Supports the Commission’s efforts to include prevention aspects in its disaster response since the very beginning; points out, therefore, that regional and local authorities play a key role in disaster prevention by implementing
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 – point 1 (new) (1) Calls for investing in the prevention of catastrophes and climate change, in more efficient prevention policies and adequate legislation on conservation of water management and efficient risk management;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Recalls the extreme vulnerability of certain areas because of their geography, such as coastal, insular and mountainous areas, and calls for a special attention to be given to these areas;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Takes the view that there needs to be more of a focus on prevention, which is one of the most effective ways of providing protection, reducing the effects and impact of disasters as well as meaning that savings can be made where financial resources are concerned;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Points to the key role of the regional and local authorities, which are in the front line when disasters occur
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Points to the key role of the regional and local authorities, which are in the front line when disasters occur and whose
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Invites the Commission, when setting up the European disaster response, to take into account the Solidarity Clause and its implementation arrangements, which are due to be adopted; nevertheless opposes the creation of a permanent EU Civil Protection Force; stresses, instead, the principle of helping others to help themselves, and the necessary exchange of best practice in areas such as developing volunteer fire brigade structures similar to those that have been operating successfully for hundreds of years in the German-speaking countries in particular;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Points to the key role of the regional and local authorities, which are in the front line when disasters occur and whose involvement can raise the EU’s visibility among its citizens; therefore calls the Commission to ensure that the Member States involve their regional and local authorities in the early stages of the set up of the disaster response, building upon the multi-level governance model applied in Cohesion policy, through a win-win communication strategy for all the actors part of the response mechanism;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Points to the key role of the regional and local authorities, which are in the front line when disasters occur, above all in the case of cross-border disasters, and whose
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new) Points out that the Union’s Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories offer relay points on all the oceans of the world, and that disaster response could, therefore, be swifter if capacity and resources were pre- positioned there;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Underscores the importance of the EU’s commitment on the exchange of best- practice and to supporting the measures taken by Member States, especially when several Member States are affected by a common disaster; therefore advocates making use of the valuable experience acquired in this field through projects implemented in the past under the Community’s INTERREG initiative
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Notes that the European regions situated on the EU's borders may be affected by disasters occurring in regions belonging to non-member states, when intervention is even more difficult; proposes that specific measures be developed to support these regions;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Considers that further exploitation of the opportunities offered in the context of the European Territorial Objective is of crucial importance; believes in this connection that the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) can constitute an important instrument for further strengthening transnational, cross-border and interregional cooperation, even with countries which are not EU Member States. It is here that the EU can make a valuable and visible contribution to even more effective and efficient cooperation, above all by improving coordination;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Thinks that only after creating the appropriate prevention measures network at national, regional and local level it would be possible to fight against disasters faster and more efficiently;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Notes that it is worth to create the map of risks and possible threats, which would be very useful for those regions and remote places who share common risks;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Pays attention that in the European Year of Volunteering, it would be symbolic and useful to support those countries which seek to promote such activities and organisations;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Stresses that very often disasters are caused by people or by the industrial breakage, therefore asks to pay attention to those disasters where different strategies of managing have to be applied;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new) Points out that the current ad hoc coordination arrangements cannot guarantee appropriate and sufficient assistance in the event of disasters; considers that a shift is needed to a system of forward planning, entailing the preparation of reference scenarios for the main types of disaster within and outside the EU, and that available and necessary resources need to be identified and their intended use determined;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Encourages the Commission and Member States to promote their role in disaster prevention and management, in order to increase visibility and good active image of the EU;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Notes that it is extremely important to enhance education on civil society and on disasters prevention.
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Asks the Commission, in setting out the major principles for the establishment of a rapid disaster mobilisation capacity, to take up the ideas outlined in its report entitled ‘For a European civil protection force’, particularly in relation to natural disasters such as major fires, floods, earthquakes, volcanic irruptions, hurricanes and tidal waves, and also to accidents at sea and protection against oil spills and nuclear risks;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls for the establishment of a European civil protection force capable of intervening swiftly and effectively at regional and local level, as part of the effort to achieve territorial cohesion in the EU;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Asks the Commission to address the question of establishing bases to pre- position rapid mobilisation capacity in the Outermost Regions and the Overseas Countries and Territories (although not exclusively there), as their geographic location would make for more effective delivery of aid to those countries most often affected not only by natural disasters but also by humanitarian, health and medical emergencies;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to aim towards an additional EU involvement in terms of resources and capacities for disasters taking place
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to aim towards an
source: PE-466.979
|
History
(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)
2015-11-04Show (5) Changes | Timetravel
| activities/0/commission/0/DG/title |
Old
Humanitarian Aid and Civil ProtectionNew
Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) |
| activities/0/docs/0/celexid |
CELEX:52010DC0600:EN
|
| activities/0/docs/0/url |
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/registre/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2010/0600/COM_COM(2010)0600_EN.pdfNew
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2010/0600/COM_COM(2010)0600_EN.pdf |
| other/0/dg/title |
Old
Humanitarian Aid and Civil ProtectionNew
Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) |
| procedure/subject/6 |
Old
6.50 Emergency, food, humanitarian aid, aid to refugeesNew
6.50 Emergency, food, humanitarian aid, aid to refugees, Emergency Aid Reserve |
2014-11-09Show (5) Changes
| activities |
|
| committees |
|
| links |
|
| other |
|
| procedure |
|