Disasters know no borders and can simultaneously hit one or several countries without warning. Having a well-coordinated joint response means that when national authorities are overwhelmed, they have one point of contact rather than multiple to deal with. A joint approach further helps pool expertise and capacities of first responders, avoids duplication of relief efforts, and ensures that assistance meets the needs of those affected. Pooling together civil protection capacities and capabilities allows for a stronger and more coherent collective response.
In addition to the EU countries, there are currently 6 participating states in the Mechanism (Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey). Since its inception in 2001, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has responded to over 600 requests for assistance inside and outside the EU.
The Mechanism also helps coordinate disaster preparedness and prevention activities of national authorities and contributes to the exchange of best practices. This facilitates the continuous development of higher common standards enabling teams to understand different approaches better and work interchangeably when a disaster strikes.
Through the UCPM, the European Union finances the organisation of trainings, exercises, exchange of experts and other disaster prevention and preparedness actions, including grants for cross-border projects and the development of new tools, e.g. to improve weather forecasting, early warning systems, risk assessment methodologies and cost-benefit analyses.
It also provides financial support to have in place resources such as urban search and rescue teams, forest fire fighting capacities, emergency medical teams, water purification equipment, high-capacity pumping units, etc., and their deployment during collective European emergency response operations in international contexts.
Misiba haijui mipaka na yaweza kugonga nchi moja au zaidi kwa wakati mmoja bila onyo. Kuchukua hatua kwa pamoja kwa utaratibu wa pamoja kunamaanisha kwamba wakati mamlaka za kitaifa zinaposhindwa, zina kituo kimoja cha mawasiliano badala ya vituo vingi vya kushughulikia. Njia ya pamoja pia husaidia kuunganisha utaalam na uwezo wa wa kwanza kujibu, kuepuka kurudia juhudi za misaada, na kuhakikisha kwamba msaada unakidhi mahitaji ya wale walioathiriwa. Kuunganisha pamoja uwezo wa ulinzi wa kiraia na uwezo inaruhusu majibu ya pamoja yenye nguvu na yenye mshikamano zaidi. Kwa sasa, nchi sita zinashiriki katika utaratibu huo (Iceland, Norway, Serbia, Macedonia ya Kaskazini, Montenegro na Uturuki). Tangu kuanzishwa kwake mnamo 2001, Mfumo wa Ulinzi wa Kiraia wa EU umejibu maombi zaidi ya 600 ya msaada ndani na nje ya EU. Utaratibu pia husaidia kuratibu shughuli za kujitayarisha na kuzuia majanga ya mamlaka za kitaifa na kuchangia kubadilishana mazoea bora. Hii inawezesha maendeleo ya kuendelea ya viwango vya juu vya kawaida kuwezesha timu kuelewa mbinu tofauti bora na kufanya kazi kwa kubadilishana wakati msiba unatokea. Kupitia UCPM, Umoja wa Ulaya hufadhili shirika la mafunzo, mazoezi, kubadilishana wataalam na hatua nyingine za kuzuia na kujitayarisha kwa majanga, pamoja na ruzuku kwa miradi ya kuvuka mipaka na maendeleo ya zana mpya. kuboresha utabiri wa hali ya hewa, mifumo ya onyo la mapema, mbinu za tathmini ya hatari na uchambuzi wa gharama na faida. Pia hutoa msaada wa kifedha kuwa na rasilimali kama vile timu za utafutaji na uokoaji wa mijini, uwezo wa kuzima moto wa misitu, timu za matibabu ya dharura, vifaa vya kusafisha maji, vitengo vya pampu vya uwezo mkubwa, na wengine, na kupelekwa wakati wa shughuli za pamoja za Ulaya za dharura katika mazingira ya kimataifa.