Mitchell (PPE-DE). – Mr President, the recent tsunami disaster shocked the world and the huge loss of life it caused is almost inconceivable. Such disasters are not specific to South-East Asia. The worst European tsunami in recorded history occurred on 1 November 1755, when a powerful earthquake off Portugal's Atlantic coast sent waves crashing into Lisbon. Up to 30 000 lives were lost in the capital alone that day and the event signalled the decline of the city, which until then had been the fourth largest city in Europe and one of the richest. The waves also hit the coasts of Belgium, Britain, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Twenty Member States of the EU have coastlines. Given that earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis have taken place in the past, would it not be prudent for the Commission to set up a benchmarking process to facilitate alert strategies to warn of natural disasters of this kind?