1.12.2005   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/1

1.

HAVING REGARD TO:

2.

BEARING IN MIND that the financial implications of the proposed improvements, and in particular of the proposal establishing a Rapid Response and Preparedness Instrument for major emergencies, must be compatible with the financial framework set for the period 2007-2013 and respect the principle of subsidiarity.

3.

REAFFIRMS the need to develop an ‘European Union rapid response capability’ to tackle natural or man-made disasters inside or outside the Union, drawing on national resources and teams trained to work together.

4.

WELCOMES in general the Communication from the Commission on Improving the Community Civil Protection Mechanism, which sets out short term and medium term proposals to strengthen European cooperation in the framework of the Civil Protection Mechanism.

5.

INVITES the Commission together with the Member States to improve, within their respective competences, the European civil protection cooperation, including the strengthening of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism, in order to ensure that the European Union can provide civil protection assistance rapidly and effectively in case of all kinds of emergencies inside and outside the Union.

6.

UNDERLINES the overall role and responsibility of the United Nations in coordinating international civil protection assistance in third countries, where present. The EU should support the capabilities of the United Nations in coordinating civil protection interventions in third countries. In this regard, the European rapid response capability could contribute to the strengthening of the UN capacity building for rapid action in the face of humanitarian disasters.

7.

ENCOURAGES the Commission together with the Member States, within their respective competences, to further develop a modular approach through a program which will establish scenarios, capability assessment, operational plans, training and exercises and common methodologies for risk assessment under an all-hazard approach covering natural and man-made disasters, including terrorism. This program should drive action, building on the principles of subsidiarity and complementarity, and of operating under national responsibility. The civil protection identified modules are one in a number of significant assets in the EU rapid response capability and will be able to operate independently or in cooperation with or support to other EU bodies or international institutions.

8.

STRESSES that evaluations, taking into account risk assessments, deficit analyses and lessons learned from emergencies, training and exercises, are the basis for decisions on improving the response capacity of the EU.

9.

ENCOURAGES the Commission and the Member States to take forward, in the short term, work in the following priority areas:

10.

WELCOMES the Commission's offer to make the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) available for the European consular cooperation in order to support EU citizens victims of disasters in third countries.

11.

INVITES the Commission to submit as soon as possible more complete proposals on strengthening preventive action, inspired by the terms of the Civil Protection Action Programme (10), the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2016 (11) and the European Union Action Plan on the earthquakes and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean (12), and enhancing detection and early warning systems in general, and in particular for the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

12.

INVITES the Commission to submit as soon as possible, and at the latest by October 2005, further legislative proposals for improving civil protection cooperation, including the Community Mechanism, taking into account the above conclusions.

13.

WILL RETURN to the whole issue dealing with the European rapid response capability before the end of 2005.