On Friday 10 February, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, was in Madrid for talks with the Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez. This was an opportunity for them to plan the priorities of the future Spanish Presidency of the EU Council concerning civil protection.
The visit came days after the European Commission presented resilience targets for the EU and its Member States to improve prevention and preparedness for major disasters, both nationally and collectively, in a rapidly changing risk landscape (see EUROPE 13117/5).
The Spanish minister reiterated his government’s “message of condolence and solidarity” with the people of Turkey and Syria, victims of the earthquake. He also highlighted the effectiveness of the Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and his intention to “strengthen civil protection capacities” during the Spanish Presidency in the second half of 2023.
The Commissioner thanked Spain for its active role through the UCPM in helping Ukraine, Turkey and Syria, and for its current efforts in Chile fighting the forest fires. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)