Brussels, 18/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Monday 18 May, the Council of the EU lent its support to the strategy of the EU to support Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the developing countries, which was presented by the Commission last February. In its conclusions, which were adopted without debate, the Council takes the view that it is far more worthwhile to invest in the prevention and attenuation of risks, and in preparing for risks before a disaster happens, than to fund rescue, recovery and reconstruction operations post-disaster.
This communication, like the one recommending a Community approach to the prevention of natural or human disasters, comes just at the right time, ahead of the second global platform for disaster risk reduction to be held in Geneva in June this year, the Council stresses. It hopes that the strategy is applied in the event of disasters caused by natural or technological phenomena, with the exclusion of those caused by conflicts or warfare, which require another strategy altogether. The Council stresses the importance of building DRR into the humanitarian aid policy of the EU, and of pursuing an approach establishing a link between emergency aid, rehabilitation and development with a view to reducing the risk of disasters. Risk reduction must also be included from the planning and implementation stages of projects and programmes supported by the EU and in the relevant activities of the United Nations in high-risk countries and regions, and gender equality must be respected in managing disaster risk reduction, says the Council. The priorities for the rapid implementation of this strategy should be: - dialogue on DRR, within existing frameworks, with all of the developing regions and countries, in order to move forward international climate negotiations on the post-2012 regime, and a coordinated approach of the EU ahead of global platform in June; - regional DRR action plans to support activities carried out in regions at risk from disasters; - integrating DRR in the external actions of the EU, including in the framework of the United Nations and in the development strategies of partner countries; - coordinating the support provided by the EU to major investments in DRR already identified and planned in national frameworks. In order to give this strategy the resources to realise its ambitions, the Council calls upon the member states which have not yet done so to contribute more resources to DRR. The European Commission, which has granted €180 million to DRR under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), is called upon to use these resources effectively, but also those earmarked under other instruments (such as the DIPECO, the seventh framework research programme, the Joint Research Centre of the Commission) and, if applicable, to look into ways of mobilising sufficient resources, which are predictable and sustainable, to fund both reduction of disaster risks and adaptation to climate change. The Council calls upon the Commission to draft an implementation plan by the month of June, detailing the key actions, responsibilities, principal instruments and implementation order of the priorities laid down in these conclusions. (A.N./transl.fl)