Civil protection and natural or technological disasters

29.6.2000

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2349/00
by Véronique Mathieu (EDD)
to the Commission

The EU must react in proper fashion to natural or technological disasters. Several months after the storms of December 1999 and the wreck of the 'Erika', the Commission has undertaken to submit, by the end of July 2000, a communication and a proposal to the Council for the completion of the Community action programme for civil protection established by the Council decision of 9 December 1999.

 

Can the Commission explain the fact that at the time of the disasters of December 1999 coordination at Community level was not carried out under this programme, despite its having entered into force on 1 January 2000?

 

How does the Commission propose to improve communication, not only  between the Member States' civil protection authorities but also between the Commission and the Member States and between the different Commission DGs?

 

Has the Commission acted to identify the operational resources existing in the Member States for civil protection?

 

In what fashion has the Commission decided to link up its new civil protection proposals to the Council resolution of 8 July 1991 on mutual assistance between Member States in case of natural and technological disaster[1], in particular as regards the environmental effects of disasters?

 

How does the Commission intend to ensure the coordination and coherence of action of a future European intervention force, whose creation would compound the proliferation of crisis centres, units and management committees now existing under Union authority?

 

Can the Commission state how it intends to obtain guarantees from the Member States concerning their political commitment to cooperating with its forthcoming proposals?

• [1]  OJ C 198, 27.7.1991, p. 1

OJ C 103 E, 03/04/2001