The European Commission has proposed on Wednesday a series of parameters to improve the European Union’s response capacity to emergencies or natural disasters, a proposal that comes in the midst of a humanitarian crisis caused by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which has claimed the lives of more than 9,600 people.
In a recommendation to Member States, Brussels insists that the EU must «do more» to improve its anticipation of disasters, i.e. improve risk assessment and preparedness, as well as identify vulnerabilities in critical sectors and anticipate threats.
At a press conference in the EU capital, the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said that the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has increased fivefold in recent years, a situation he attributed to the war in Ukraine, the impact of the pandemic and the climate crisis. «Natural disasters do not stop happening, in fact they have increased in intensity and frequency,» he noted.
Thus, the proposal insists on increasing the population’s emergency preparedness and awareness, improving warning capabilities as well as early warning actions at national, regional and local levels.
In this sense, Brussels focuses on strengthening the response capacity of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, understanding that the European bloc can provide more help to fill critical gaps and prevent further deterioration of a crisis when the capacity of a country is overwhelmed.
On security, the EU approach stresses the need for a «robust» civil protection system, including 24-hour operational capacity and improved protocols and standards to ensure coordination and information sharing between sectors.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
