The floods that devastated some regions in the north of Italy last week have once again demonstrated the urgency for the European Union to adopt a new collective approach to better deal with risks and crises and improve territorial resilience. This was the main message that local and regional leaders delivered to Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, during a debate held as part of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) plenary session. Members of the Committee underlined that a particular focus should be given to tackling social and territorial vulnerabilities at local level, in order to reduce the impact of future crisis.
In recent years, European territories have been hit by large-scale and unpredictable crises that did not stop at administrative borders and affected in particular the most vulnerable parts of the population, exacerbating inequalities of health and well-being. The deadly forest fires in Portugal in 2017, the earthquake in Croatia in winter 2020, the storm that ravaged south-eastern France in October 2020 or the floods in Germany and Belgium in summer 2021, and in Italian region Emilia-Romagna last week are some examples of these extreme events that hit European communities, putting local actors at the forefront of the public response.
In a debate with the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, members of the CoR stated that, in order to better deal with these events, Europe must move from a risk management approach to a new shared culture of societal preparedness with more resilient and proactive societies. EU and national institutions must invest in the collective preparedness of our society for crises and disasters, with special emphasis on keeping public services accessible and a focus on the most vulnerable.
Commissioner Lenarčič highlighted that "As the global risk landscape worsens, we increasingly face disasters with effects that cross borders and sectors. We must work together to build a safer, more resilient future for communities and regions across Europe. That is why we have launched the five Disaster Resilience Goals and flagship initiatives. These enable regions to anticipate and withstand future emergencies. The implementation of these initiatives by local and regional authorities within their communities is key to making these Goals a reality."
Arno Kompatcher (EPP/IT) President of the Trentino Alto-Adige/Südtirol Region and of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen said "In today's rapidly changing world, enhancing our emergency systems at all levels is crucial to address potential crises and gain resilience. By investing in infrastructure, fostering well organized collaboration, and promoting innovation, we can ensure our communities are trained for unforeseen disasters. Additionally, recognizing the valuable contributions of volunteers and unleashing their full potential is a fundamental key to overcome these challenges. Therefore, it is essential to keep the bureaucratic burden on voluntary organizations as low as possible."
Mariusz Rafał Frankowski (EPP/PL) Councillor of the capital city of Warsaw said "Building the EU resilience and preparing for crises must be done in close cooperation at different levels of the European Union administration, including the special role of local governments that are closest to residents. Only in this way is it possible to ensure fast decision-making process and the necessary financial resources affecting the effectiveness of action.
Alberto Ancarani, Member of Ravenna Municipal Council (EPP/IT), highlighted that "The situation in Emilia Romagna Region is very difficult. Some municpalites are still flooded. Climate change but also land use change have contributed to this flooding which led to 15 deaths. This is not an easy situation but on behalf of the Mayors in Emilia Romagna I would like to thank the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in particular, support from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia who acted rapidly to support us in the difficult situation."
Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region (EPP/IT) said that "In recent years, the territories and peoples of Europe have been confronted with an impressive series of crises that have profoundly affected the daily lives of millions of European citizens. Our society, which is extremely advanced and complex, has also shown itself to be fragile and, in some cases, defenceless and unprepared, not only in the face of new and unknown crises, such as the recent COVID pandemic and droughts in traditionally water-rich regions, but also in the face of well-known disasters, such as the recent floods that have tragically affected Emilia Romagna. However, we cannot allow ourselves to turn cohesion policy and its funds into a financial reservoir to deal with this or that crisis, this or that disaster. Instead, the EU must equip itself with specific and important financial reserves for this specific purpose, accompanied by a new European policy to prevent and combat crises and disasters."