22/01/2019 (Agence Europe) – A procedural step was taken on 21 January towards a more effective collective European response to natural disasters (forest fires, floods, health emergencies) or man-made disasters (terrorist or chemical attacks, nuclear threats) in the EU or in third countries. The European Parliament's Environment Committee unanimously approved the interinstitutional agreement reached at the end of 2018 on the proposal for a decision which will in particular make it possible to create RescEU, a European reserve of civil protection resources to assist Member States, as a last resort, when their resources deployed are not enough to respond to a disaster (see EUROPE 12159). The text of the agreement will be submitted to the European Parliament for confirmation at the February plenary session (11-14) in Strasbourg. (AN)