Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme in the field of Civil Protection
3. 2. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 28/29 Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection (1999/C 28/07) COM(1998) 768 final - 98/0354(CNS) (Submitted by the Commission on 16 December 1998) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof, Whereas the Community Action Programme will continue to help to develop cooperation in this field even more effectively; whereas the programme should be based to a large extent on experience already gained in this field; Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having Parliament, regard to the opinion of the European Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions, Whereas the actions taken by the Community in this field since 1985 have made it possible progressively to develop cooperation between the Member States; whereas the resolutions adopted since 1987Ø(˛) and the Council Decision of 19 December 1997Ø(ˇ) establishing a Community Action Programme in the field of Civil Protection constitutes the basis for this cooperation; the individual actions undertaken by Whereas the Community to implement the programme contribute to the protection of persons, environment and property in the event of natural and technological disasters; Whereas the Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable developmentØ(—) presented by the Commission foresees that the Community’s activities will be stepped up in particular in the field of environmental emergencies, whereas the same programme calls for these activities to take account of scientific research and technological development; cooperation in accordance with the principle of subsiÜ Whereas, supports and diarity, Community field of Civil supplements national policies Protection them more effective; to make whereas pooling of experience and mutual assistance will help to reduce the injuries and economic and environmental damage throughout the Community; loss of human in order life, the in Whereas the Community action programme will provide transparency as well as consolidate and strengthen the different actions in continued pursuit of the objectives of the Treaty; Whereas action to prevent risks and damage as well as provide information and prepare those responsible for and involved in Civil Protection in the Member States is important and increases the degree of preparedness for accidents; whereas important to undertake is also Community action to improve techniques and methods of response and rehabilitation after emergencies; it Whereas it is also important to undertake action targeted at the general public so as to help European citizens to protect themselves more effectively; Whereas Commission in managing the action programme; committee will advisory an assist the Whereas the provisions of this Decision take over from 1 January 2000, from the action programme set up through the Council Decision of 19 December 1997 and ending on 31 December 1999; (˛) OJ C 176, 4. 7. 1987, p. 1; OJ C 44, 23. 2. 1989, p. 3; OJ C 315, 14. 12. 1990, p. 1; OJ C 313, 10. 11. 1994, p. 1. (ˇ) OJ L 8, 14. 1. 1998, p. 20. (—) OJ C 138, 17. 5. 1993, p. 5. Whereas the Treaty does not provide, for the adoption of this Decision, powers other than those of Article 235, C 28/30 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 2. 1999 HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 1. Ú A Community action programme in the field of civil protection (hereinafter called "the programme’) is hereby established for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004. is to local levels intended support and 2. Ú The programme supplement Member States’ efforts at national, regional and the protection of persons, environment and property in the event of natural and technological disasters. The aim is also to facilitate coopÜ eration and mutual assistance between Member States in this field. for Article 2 1. Ú The Commission shall implement the actions under the programme. to three year implement 2. Ú A the rolling plan programme, to be reviewed annually, shall be adopted, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 4 and on the basis inter alia of the information supplied by Member States to the Commission. The Commission may, when necessary, arrange additional actions to those under the programme. Such additional actions shall be assessed in the light of the priorities set and the financial resources available. individual action shall be 3. Ú Each in close cooperation with the competent authorities at national, regional and local level in the Member States. implemented relevant, 4. Ú Where present programme shall seek to contribute to the integration of civil protection objectives in other Community and Member States policies and actions. actions under the 5. Ú Each action shall take account of the results of the Community and national research in the relevant fields. Article 4 the implementation of For the Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission. the programme, The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft, within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote. The opinion shall be recorded in addition, each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its position recorded in the minutes. the minutes; in financial 3. Ú Actions under arrangements for Community contribution are set out in the Annex. the programme and Article 3 The Commission shall take the utmost account of the opinion delivered by the committee and shall inform the committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken into account. 1. Ú The rolling plan to implement the programme shall contain the individual actions to be undertaken. The Commission may also refer other matters relating to civil protection to the advisory committee. 2. Ú Individual actions shall be selected primarily on the basis of the following criteria: a) contribution to preventing the risks and damage to persons, environment and property in the event of natural and technological disasters; b) contribution to increasing the degree of preparedness of those involved in civil protection in the Member States, in order to increase their ability to respond to an emergency; c) contribution to improving techniques and methods of response and rehabilitation after emergencies; d) contribution to public information, education and awareness, so as to help citizens to protect themselves more effectively. Article 5 The Commission shall evaluate the implementation of the programme at mid term and before its end, and report by 30 September 2002 and 31 March 2004 to the Council and the European Parliament. Article 6 This Decision shall apply with effect from 1 January 2000. Article 7 This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 3. 2. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 28/31 ANNEX FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONØ(˛) Action Financing arrangements A. Major projects of general interest Major projects of general interest for all Member States or a number of them and involving a process for enhancing civil protection capabilities for dealing with disasters in certain significant aspects, such as: - prevention; - preparedness; - response; - restoration; - information of the public, so as to help the citizens to protect themselves more effectively as well as to contribute to safety in connection with the free movement of citizens within the Community. B. Training 1. Workshops and courses (˛) training courses Organisation of workshops or bringing technical togehter high level experts, specialists and technicians from the Member States permitting, within each discipline, the mutual sharing of experience by means of discussions in specific terms of their methods, techniques and means with a view to: - increasing their degree of preparedness; - creating the conditions for the establishment of a human network permitting more effective operational cooperation between Member States in case of emergency. 2. Exchange of experts and technicians Organisation of the secondment of experts to the emergency services of another Member State in order to allow the experts to gain experience or appraise different techniques used or to study the approaches taken within other emergency services or other relevant bodies. Organisation of exchanges of Member States’ experts, specialists and technicians enabling them to present or to follow short training courses. Maximum Community financial contribution: 75Ø% of the total costs of the action. Maximum Community financial contribution: 75Ø% of the total cost of the action, with a ceiling of ECU 75Ø000 per action. Maximum 75Ø% of travel and the subsistence expenses and 100Ø% of the costs of coordinating the system. experts’ (˛) The specific actions eligible to other Community instruments will not be financed in the frame of this programme. C 28/32 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 2. 1999 Action Financing arrangements 3. Exercises (˛) The exercises are intended to compare methods, to stimulate cooperation between Member States and to back up progress in coordination of the national civil protection services, with a view to improving inter alia the effectiveness and speed of response in case of emergency. Maximum Community financial contribution: 50Ø% of the costs of participating observers from other Member States and for organising the associated workshops, preparing the exercise and the final report, etc. Maximum Community financial contribution: 50Ø% of the total cost of each pilot project, with a ceiling of ECU 200Ø000 for each project. C. Other actions 1. Pilot projects (˛)Ø(ˇ) Projects designed to increase the capacity for and speed of response in the initial stages of crises in the different regions of Member States. These projects are aimed mainly at improving means, techniques and procedures also in the isolated and ultraperipheral regions. Their scope should be such as to interest all or several Member States and it is intended to give them the maximum dissemination and demonstration throughout the Union for their implementation. The greatest possible encouragement should be given to multinational projects. 2. Support actions (˛) Support actions for the development of particular civil protection aspectsØ(ˇ). Maximum Community financial contribution: 50Ø% of the total cost of each action, with a ceiling of ECU 30Ø000 per action 3. Conferences and events (˛) Conferences and other Civil Protection events which are open to a large audience, and involving several Member States. Maximum Community financial contribution 30Ø% of the total cost of the arrangement with a ceiling of ECU 50Ø000 per action. 4. Information and other actions and information, publications Distribution of exhibition material the on production of field of civil in Community cooperation protection. Other actions aiming to a better appreciation of the results of the civil protection activities, statistics, economic analysis. such as Evaluation of the programme. the D. Mobilisation of expertise Mobilisation of expertise to intervene in the event of an emergency situation to reinforce the system set up by the authorities of a Member State or a third country technological facing natural or disasters. Community financial contribution: 100Ø% of the costs. Community financial contribution: 100Ø% of the costs for the experts’ missions. (˛) The only eligible actions are those interesting all Member States or a significant number of them. (ˇ) The only eligible actions must be in accordance with the priorities yearly defined within the management committee