MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Italy after the earthquakes
23.11.2016 - (2016/2988(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 128(5) of the Rules of Procedure
Davor Škrlec, Bronis Ropė on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-1285/2016
B8-1286/2016
European Parliament resolution on the situation in Italy after the earthquakes
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[1],
– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006[2],
– having regard to its resolution of 8 October 2009 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund[3] (in respect of the Abruzzo earthquake, Italy),
– having regard to its resolution of 14 November 2007 on the regional impact of earthquakes[4],
– having regard to Special Report No 24/2012 of the Court of Auditors entitled ‘The European Union Solidarity Fund’s response to the 2009 Abruzzi earthquake: the relevance and cost of operations’,
– having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2016/369 of 15 March 2016 on the provision of emergency support within the Union[5],
– having regard to Regulation No 375/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of 3 April 2014 establishing the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps (‘EU Aid Volunteers initiative’)[6],
– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid[7],
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 11 April 2011 on Further Developing Risk Assessment for Disaster Management within the European Union,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 28 November 2008 calling for civil protection capabilities to be enhanced by a European mutual assistance system building on the civil protection modular approach (16474/08),
– having regard to its resolution of 19 June 2008 on stepping up the Union’s disaster response capacity[8],
– having regard to the questions to the Commission on the situation in Italy after the earthquakes (O-000139/2016 – B8-1812/2016, O-000140/2016 – B8-1813/2016 and O-000141 – B8-1814/2016),
– having regard to Rules 128(5) and 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas after the devastating earthquake that hit central Italy on 24 August 2016, three more major quakes, together with a flurry of tremors, struck the central Italian regions, on 26 October with magnitudes of 5.5 and 6.1, and on 30 October with a magnitude of 6.5;
B. whereas quakes and aftershocks have continued to batter central Italy over the past months; whereas the tremor that shook Italy on 30 October was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country since 1980;
C. whereas in the recent quakes more than 400 people are reported to have been injured and 290 to have died;
D. whereas the devastating earthquakes could accumulate in a ‘domino effect’ and lead to 100 000 displaced residents;
E. whereas the latest quakes have destroyed towns, seriously damaged local and regional infrastructure, ruined historic and cultural heritage, damaged economic activities, especially those of SMEs, agriculture and landscapes, as well as tourist and gastronomic resources;
F. whereas the territories concerned suffer from a deformation that extends over an area of about 130 square kilometres, with a maximum displacement of at least 70 centimetres;
G. whereas sustainable reconstruction efforts need to be properly coordinated in order to remedy the economic and social losses;
H. whereas various Union instruments, such as the European Structural and Investment Funds or the civil protection mechanism and financial instrument, may be used to strengthen preventive measures to address earthquakes and rehabilitation measures;
1. Expresses its deepest solidarity and empathy with all the individuals and families in the territories affected by the earthquakes, and with the Italian national, regional and local authorities involved in relief efforts following the disaster;
2. Appreciates the unremitting efforts of the rescue units, civil protection workers, volunteers, civil society organisations, and local, regional and national authorities to save lives and contain the damage in the devastated areas;
3. Underlines the serious effects of the successive earthquakes and the destruction left in their wake;
4. Notes the solidarity expressed by other Member States, European regions and international players in the form of mutual assistance in emergency situations;
5. Highlights the prediction problems associated with predicting earthquake systems and the high seismicity of South East Europe; notes with concern that thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands been left homeless in the past 15 years as a result of destructive earthquakes affecting Europe;
6. Recalls the importance of complying with requirements for the construction of earthquake resistant buildings, in particular public buildings and infrastructure; urges national, regional and local authorities to step up efforts to make constructions compliant with the earthquake standards in force and to pay due attention to this when issuing building permits;
7. Urges the Commission to recommend that the instructions of ‘Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance’ be incorporated in the planning regulations of all vulnerable Member States, and calls on the competent authorities at EU and Member State level to rigorously apply these instructions to new and old buildings alike;
8. Expresses its concern over the large number of displaced persons exposed to the harsh weather conditions of the forthcoming winter season; calls on the Commission to offer all necessary help to the Italian authorities to allow them to guarantee decent living conditions for the people deprived of their homes;
9. Stresses the importance of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism in fostering cooperation among national civil protection authorities across Europe in adverse situations and in minimising the effects of exceptional occurrences; calls on the Commission and the Member States to further simplify the procedures for the activation of the Mechanism in order to make it available rapidly and effectively in the immediate aftermath of a disaster;
10. Calls on the Commission to undertake all the necessary measures to allow and provide for rapid financing at as high a level as possible from the European Union Solidarity Fund; welcomes the fact that the Italian Government has already submitted its application; calls on the Commission, therefore, to provide its assessment as soon as possible, taking due account of action taken by the Italian authorities with a view to preventing disasters, limiting damage and protecting citizens’ lives, including by establishing legal obligations;
11. Calls on the Commission to ensure that all the available instruments within the cohesion and regional funds are effectively used for reconstruction activities and all other necessary actions in full cooperation with the Italian national and regional authorities; calls on the Commission to consider the possibility of using the European Fund for Rural Development to sustain the rural areas and agricultural activities that have been impacted by the earthquakes;
12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Italy, and the regional and local authorities of the areas affected.