The large experience of member states and regional authorities has led to exchange on the international level with cooperation of NGOs , states , regional and municipality authorities and private persons . The Greek – Turkish earthquake diplomacy is a quite positive example of natural hazards leading to improved relations of traditional rivals in the region after earthquakes in İzmir and Athens 1999 . The European Union Solidarity Fund ( EUSF ) was set up to respond to major natural disasters and express European solidarity to disaster-stricken regions within all of Europe . The largest amount of fund requests in the EU is being directed to forest fires , followed by floodings and earthquakes . Forest fires are , whether man made or natural , an often recurring and dangerous hazard in the Mediterranean region . Also , tsunamis are an often underestimated hazard in the region . For example , the 1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami took more than 123,000 lives in Sicily and Calabria and is among the most deadly natural disasters in modern Europe
1908 Messina earthquake
1908 Messina earthquake
Mediterranean Sea