EU Mechanism Description
EU Mechanism Objectives
The objective of the Community Mechanism is to improve the protection of people, property and the environment in the event of major natural or technological disasters, including terrorism, within or outside of its geographical area.
The principal responsibility for managing the effects of major disasters lies with the national authorities of the stricken state. However, the support through the Community Mechanism can be requested through its Monitoring and Information Centre, MIC, and comprises of national civil protection assistance from member states and team of national experts
(assessment, coordination or technical experts) sent through the European Commission. The Community Mechanism also improves preparedness by maintaining databases with information on the national civil protection
capabilities available as well as by its training programme and civil protection field exercises.
Examples of mechanism activations
Inside the partnership area
- The flooding in Central Europe, August 2002
- The Shipwreck of Prestige off the Galician coast, November 2002
- The earthquake of Al Hoeima, Morocco, February 2004
- The forest fires in Morocco, August 2004
- Tsunami in the Bay of Bengal, December 2004
- The collision of the Tricolor of the Belgian coast, December 2002
- The forest fires in Portugal, France and Italy, July-September 2003
- The floods in France, December 2003
- A request for CBRN stand-by teams to the Football Cup EURO 2004 in Portugal, June 2004
- Earthquake in Slovenia and Austria, July 2004 (no request)
- Forest fires in Portugal, July-August 2004
- Forest fires in Malta, August 2004
Outside the partnership area
- The earthquake in Turkey, May 2003
- The earthquake at Thenia, Algeria, May 2003
- A threatening pollution in the harbour of Karachi, Pakistan, August 2003
- Earthquake in Bam, Iran, December 2003
- The earthquake of Al Hoeima, Morocco, February 2004
- The forest fires in Morocco, August 2004
- Tsunami in the Bay of Bengal, December 2004
- Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico, September 2005
For more information see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/civil/.
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