Civil protection: Community action programme 1998-1999

In adopting the report by Mrs Laura GONZALEZ ALVAREZ (GUE/NGL, E), Parliament approved this proposal with the following amendments: - Parliament calls for actions which seek, in particular, to enhance prevention, the ability of citizens to protect themselves against risk and crisis situations, and to improve coordination at regional and local level when combating major disasters. It draws particular attention to the importance of heightening awareness of hazards which could arise from specific disasters, such as the accidental release of toxic materials; - the programme should contribute to increasing environmental protection, with a particular emphasis on the Union's isolated and ultra peripheral regions where the bringing-in of aid is difficult and the intervention procedures are limited as far as major emergencies are concerned. Particular attention should be paid to the smaller islands; - provision should be made with regard to determining the causes of disasters as well as their prevention (and, in particular, introducing the risks of disaster in the environmental impact assessment and taking any preventive measures required, including closure of the installation, for example); to the same end, the Annex to the proposal was amended in order to highlight these various points (by introducing new rates of Community financial contribution for one or other action and by clarifying the role of the NGOs); - a contribution should be made to increasing the degree of preparedness of those responsible for civil protection at all levels (including local and regional), the introduction of new intervention techniques, and self-protection and collective solidarity actions; - a report evaluating the programme should be forwarded to it every two years (instead of three years); - a new committee (advisory committee on civil protection) should be set up to implement this programme of actions jointly with the Commission. �