The distressing news coming from the Philippines are making us ever more aware of the need for appropriate governance in order to protect citizens against man-made and natural disasters. Only time will tell, but it is quite likely that the 5,000 deaths reported to have taken place in recent days will be ascribed more to the lack of preparedness of local and federal institutions of the country, rather than to the meteorological conditions themselves. It is the hope of every one of us that these shortcomings do not result in more deaths over the days to come. 

Disasters are not events happening only in far-away continents. They are very much a reality of European life as well. And they are increasing as time goes by. The number of natural disasters on the European continent was around 100 in 1980. By 2011, it had risen steadily to almost 190. Much of the increase can be attributed to climate change events, including storms and extreme heat or cold spells. In a period of 30 years, almost 110,000 lives have been lost in Europe in the course of these events.

The men and women working in civil protection are the first line of defence which European citizens can rely on in these circumstances. I have had the privilege to work in this area for many years, overseeing a number of important achievements but also recognising that a lot remains to be done, locally and at the level of the EU. It is encouraging to learn that the PL in Government is placing the preparation of a National Disaster Prevention and Management Plan at the forefront of its agenda. The budgetary allocations towards improvement in civil protection facilities and equipment in Malta are also very heartening.

The European Parliament, as one of Europe’s leading Institutions, has in recent years started to place significant emphasis on the improvement of civil protection activities across the EU. This presents an opportunity for Malta, and I look forward to work at the European Parliament to contribute to the progress being achieved locally in this field.

It is to be appreciated that civil protection remains primarily the responsibility of the Member States themselves. There is however scope for action at the European level to support and complement the activities of Member States, and above all, to promote cooperation and consistency. This should ensure that each and every European citizen has equal access to protection against the specific disasters to which the citizen may be exposed.

In 2011, the European Commission presented a legislative proposal on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to better prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters. To contribute actively to this process, the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety organised an exchange views with experts and national and international organisations to secure the best possible approach towards improving civil protection across the European territory. This resulted in proposals which will strengthen the civil protection mechanism by placing emphasis on preparedness and prevention, deploy measures which enhance the predictability of disasters, and promote activities at the EU, national, regional and local levels so as to maximise the effectiveness of the system. Emphasis was also placed on the need for rapid rehabilitation and recovery in areas affected by disasters.

In practice, this will entail actions across a number of spheres, ranging from the effective use of EU funds, to the promotion of cooperation between civil protection agencies in Member States, to improvement of scientific and technical knowledge on the prediction, prevention and recovery from disasters, and not least, to the effective involvement of insurance companies and other similar stakeholders in disaster management. The emphasis is not limited to the development of infrastructures, facilities and equipment. Equally important is training of service providers and education of the population at large to enhance its prevention, coping and recovery abilities in the face of disasters. Interestingly, there are efforts to create a European pool of assets to be used to cope with emergencies across the entire territory, as well as cost-sharing mechanisms to enhance solidarity between Member States in the face of disasters.

Disaster prevention and management has a strong local and regional dimension. Certain territories are more vulnerable and exposed than others to natural and man-made extreme events, including those associated with climate change. I have recently been appointed to serve on the Council for the South of Malta. The setting up of this Council entails the fulfilment of an important promise within the electoral manifesto of the PL, because the region has many widely-acknowledged challenges to contend with, including a number associated with civil protection issues. These include the risks from a concentration of industrial activities, pockets of elderly citizens, traffic congestion and dependence on marine and coastal activities, among others.

We all need to better understand these realities, and use the tools which our European Union membership is putting into our hands to improve the safety of our citizens, especially of those who are subject to greater risks. I look forward to my work at the European Parliament to continue contributing in this field in the near future.

Peter Cordina is contesting the 2014 elections on the PL ticket