Brussels, 18/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 18 May, the Council of Ministers of the EU adopted draft EU guidelines on cooperation in the field of civil protection with its Mediterranean partners, ahead of a likely ministerial meeting of the UfM (Union for the Mediterranean) on justice, liberty and security, in June 2009.
The Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) should in any case "remain the foundation on which cooperation with UfM countries will be built", states the document, which also recommends that any future agreement be based on the existing programs, such as the Euro-Mediterranean programme for the prevention, preparedness and response to man-made and natural disasters (PPRD SOUTH, 2009-2012). By 2012, 15.5 million euros will have been allocated under existing programmes for civil protection in the Mediterranean region.
Stressing that not all countries are on an equal footing as regards the MIC (the candidate countries are authorised to integrate the mechanism, as is already the case with Croatia, but other third countries, including potential candidates for accession, can only cooperate with activities under the mechanism), the document adopted on Monday pleads in favour of the gradual establishment, after 2012, of a broad euro-Mediterranean area for civil protection, with close links to the MIC and on the basis of a principal of cooperation based on quality and improved ownership. This objective will call, amongst other things, for additional financial resources, the creation of a programme to succeed the current PPRD, and a tightening of links in the field of training, exercises, research, mutual assistance and early warning, particularly regarding tsunamis. (O.L./trans.fl)