Brussels, 16/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 15 May, the Emergency Response Centre (ERC) of the European Commission was launched to provide a better coordinated, faster and more efficient European response to disasters in Europe and the world. The ERC, which takes account of more than ten years' experience in coordinating European disaster response in the EU, takes over from the monitoring and information centre (MIC), which was created as the main operational tool of the EU civil protection mechanism, set up in 2001. It will be operational on a 24/7 basis and will be capable of dealing with up to three simultaneous emergencies in different time zones. It will receive and analysis calls for assistance from countries hit by a large scale disaster, of natural or man-made origin, and will serve as a platform for coordination between the European Commission, the member states, the country devastated by the disaster, humanitarian partners and civil protection teams deployed to the field.
“Experience shows that no country in the world is completely immune to disasters, no matter how well prepared it is. With the increasing frequency and complexity of disasters, making a coordinated and immediate response is an essential part of any life-saving action”, stressed Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. Michèle Striffler (EPP, France), the deputy European permanent rapporteur for the Parliament on humanitarian aid, went on to add that: “Civil protection means can considerably contribute to humanitarian action on the basis of assessments of humanitarian needs and advantages that they can offer in terms of speed, sectoral know-how and effectiveness, in particular during the first phase of disaster relief operations. A better coordinated, more effective and speedier civil protection mechanism can but better complete the work done by humanitarian partners” (our translation).
The ERC will send experts to assess and conduct coordination in the areas hit by disasters, and will rapidly sound the alarm in the event of impending disaster and will facilitate the transport of member states' assistance in response to major emergencies. It will enhance the planning and preparation for the EU civil protection operations in close cooperation with the member states. The new legislation that will soon be in force will allow 32 countries taking part in the EU civil protection mechanism to pre-commit some of their response capacities (specialised aircraft, heavy equipment, search and rescue teams, etc.) to a voluntary pool ready to be deployed at very short notice as part of a fully coordinated European response whenever the need arises.
The ERC will also ensure close coordination between the various Commission services involved in the response to emergencies where a multi-sectoral response is needed, and will regularly exchange information with the crisis centres of the EU's main international partners. (AN/transl.jl)