Decision (EU) 2019/420

Ce que fait l'acte

to strengthen Europe’s capacity to deal with emergency crises (rescEU). PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) governed by Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and the Council strengthens cooperation between the Union and the Member States and facilitates coordination in the field of civil protection in order to improve the Union's response to natural and man-made disasters. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Elisabetta GARDINI (EPP, IT) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, exercising its prerogatives as associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report. The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows. Specific objectives : Members specified that the Union mechanism should also support, complement and facilitate the coordination of Member States' action to achieve the following specific objectives: increase the availability and use of scientific knowledge on disasters, including in the outermost regions and OCTs; mitigate the immediate consequences that catastrophes may have on human lives and on cultural and natural heritage; step up cooperation and coordination activities at cross-border level. In order to carry out preventive actions, the Commission should coordinate the harmonisation of information and guidance on alert systems , including on a cross-border level. Members considered that European civil protection capabilities should be accompanied by an increased commitment on the part of Member States in the field of prevention. Risk management : the Commission may require Member States to provide specific prevention and preparedness plans which shall cover both short- and long-term efforts. In this regard, these efforts may include a commitment on the part of Member States to encourage investments based on risk assessments and to ensure better post-disaster reconstruction. The additional administrative burden at national and sub-national levels shall be kept as low as possible. Furthermore, the Commission should be able to take appropriate measures if it considers that the prevention efforts of a Member State are insufficient in the light of the risks facing the Member State in question. European Civil Protection Pool : this shall consist of a reserve of a voluntary pool of pre-committed capacities of the Member States and include modules, other response capacities and experts. Special reserve of response capacities (‘rescEU’) : rescEU shall be established to provide relief in exceptional circumstances when capacities at national level are not…