09:30 – 09:40Welcome speech and introduction – DG DEVCO Deputy Director General, Mr Marcus Cornaro

09:40 – 09:50The international dimension of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism – DG ECHO Director - Strategy, Policy and International Cooperation

Welcome participants on behalf of ECHO:

  • Partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus (attention: Minister), Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine;
  • Representatives of EU Member States;
  • Representatives of international organisations (UNISDR, UNECE, NATO EADRCC).

3 Key messages:

  • Civil protection/disaster management as a natural and non-controversial area for cooperation which has to be fully explored;
  • PPRD East – not just a technical assistance programme but a platform for cooperation between the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU;
  • The Union Civil Protection Mechanism opening towards the Eastern Neighbourhood.

The role of civil protection for establishing cooperation

Working in the area of disaster management is not always an easy job. Encountering people’s suffering and the loss of their livelihood is challenging and the questions “Could we have prevented it?orCould we have reacted better?” always hang heavily in the air. Nowadays the focus is moving increasingly from strengthening disaster response capabilities towards investing in disaster prevention. Building the flood barriers is asimportant asbuying rescue boats. Improving fire safety is no less crucial than increasing the number of fire trucks. The potential to reduce the risk, to eliminate the hazard or prevent the hazardfrom turning into a disaster is still gigantic.

We have realized as well that no country, no matter how advanced or rich it is, can be fully prepared to face all disasters or is able to cancel all the risks. It is a task which is economically and technologically overwhelming.

And this is why it is also very rewarding to work in the area of civil protection. In times of need there will be always a neighbour who will come to help.And another one will join from across the sea. And a third one will arrive from further away. Disasters bring people together. Saving lives and showing solidarity go beyond political or cultural differences.It establishes a common humanitarian language which we all can speak.

Civil protection and disaster management are therefore areas of cooperation, which are politically most non-controversial. They bring countries together to the field and they can bring them to the table – to plan jointly, to prepare jointlyand to learn from one another.Compared to any other area of cooperation programmes in disaster managementas the PPRD East have the unique potential to build up linkages and give rise to partnerships. We are here to today in order to utilise this potential to the maximum.

PPRD East as a cooperation platform

And this is how I come to my 2nd message regarding concretely the PPRD East programme. We have never looked at PPRD East as a simpletechnical assistance or capacity building programme. For us the programme is an instrument for establishing cooperationbetween the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the countries from the Eastern Partnership. It is our communication channel and loud speaker for reaching out to the neighbours with whom we want to have a stronger dialogue. It has never been enough just to hire a contractor to do activities in the region. The aim has always been to have the civil protection authorities of EU Member States equally involved.

And here I would like to thank the Member States representatives for being a part of this meeting today. Your support to the implementation of the 2nd phase of PPRD East will be very much appreciated.

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism opening towards the Eastern Neighbourhood

Cooperation started with PPRD East but will not end with it. The programme is an element of a bigger picture. The long-term commitment to cooperation in the field of civil protection is already engraved in the upcoming Association Agreementsbetween the most of the Partner countries and the EU. In absence of Association Agreements we can consider together with the civil protection authorities of the countries to go ahead with cooperation agreements specifically in the area of disaster management.

We are stepping up the cooperation by gradually opening the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to the Neighbours in the East. The new EU civil protection legislationin effect since January 2014 already allows for the participation of the Partner countries in the Mechanism trainings, exercisesand joint prevention and preparedness projects with the Member States.So if a country is active and willing there will be enough opportunities within the Mechanism for receiving and for giving.

Step by step we are about to approach the ultimate objectivewhich is to establish sustainable partnerships based on familiarity, solidarity and trust – to be demonstrated not only when the disaster strikes but also in peace times. I hope we all share this vision and we are committed to work towards this end.