14/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Parliament demands action plan to be toughened up against CBRN threats. By adopting the report of Anna Gomes (EPP, Portugal) on Tuesday 14 December, MEPs did not hide their concerns about the EU action plan in the arena of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear security (CBRN). According to MEPs, this action plan (EUROPE 9928) is upsetting the new distribution of competences between member states and the EU, as introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. They regret that it fails to put into practice the solidarity clause contained in the treaty and that it reduces the scope of implementation follow-up and monitoring measures. MEPs are therefore requesting that the European Commission's “standardising and regulatory” role be reinforced and that a specialised European mechanism be created in the event of a crisis, in addition to improving civil and military structural capabilities, for ensuring a rapid response from the EU in any disaster situations. (A.By./transl.fl)