Eurobaltic Civil Protection Programme: Past, Present, Future

1. EUROBALTIC CO-OPERATION PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL PROTECTION(CBSS framework)CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE ACTIVITIES SUBREGIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE TRANSBOUNDARY EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS (Erevan, Armenia 13-15 March 2003)

2. CONTENT 1. EUROBALTIC background 2. General objectives 3. EUROBALTIC implementation in 2002 - financial resources - past activities 4. Activities planned for 2003 5. ND Action Plan for 2004-2006 6. Summary UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

3. POLITICAL BACKGROUND of the CBSS CO-OPERATION IN THE CIVIL PROTECTION FIELD • 2 nd BSS Summit of BSS, Riga, 98 - Co-operation in the area of civil security was initiated • 3d BSS Summit, Kolding, 2000 - HG recommended support for co-operation between civil security authorities and experts UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

4. POLITICAL BACKGROUND of the CBSS CO-OPERATION IN THE CIVIL PROTECTION FIELD • 4d BSS Summit, St. Petersburg (June 2002) • HG recommended: • Further efforts on civil protection • R Rapid implementation of the co-operation between CBSS (Eurobaltic) and EU within framework of the Northern Dimension UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

5. BACKGROUND OF THE BSS EXPERTS’ CO-OPERATION IN CIVIL PROTECTION BRIEF SUMMARY • Civil Security Experts’ Meeting, Warsaw, Dec. 2000 • idea of EUROBALTIC programme was borne • 1st Civil Protection Experts’ Meeting, Warsaw, Dec. 2001 • development and adoption of the programme document • 2nd Civil Protection Experts’ Meeting, Copenhagen, Aug. 2002 • review of programme’s activities • In between the meetings lead country and core group monitored progress of the programme and searched for financial resources UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

6. OVERALL PROGRAMME OBJECTIVE • improving protection of human life and environment against man-made and natural disasters by: • safety dimension of spatial planning • institution and humane capacity building including involvement of non-state actors • co-operation among emergency and rescue units to improve the capacity of the region to prevent of, preparedness for and respond to disasters • know-how transfer in IT technologies and decision-making support systems Prevention MAN-MADE AND NATURAL DISASTERS Preparedness Response UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

7. LEAD COUNTRIES FOR SPECIFIC AREAS To promote, initiate, co-ordinate and monitor progress in specific areas lead countries were identified as follows: • ESTONIA 112 Emergency Call Service • LATVIA Risks for Forest Fires • LITHUANIA Oil Spill Accidents • POLAND Hazardous Materials Risks • RUSSIA Use of Space Technology Core Group (Sweden and Russian Federation) established to assist Poland who leads Eurobaltic and chairs the CBSS CPEM UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

8. EUROBALTIC PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION FINANCIAL RESOURCES Poland & Sweden in co-operation with other countries have undertaken intensive search for UE financial support via consolidate funds: INTERREG IIIB (EU Member States and Norway) EUROBALTIC application was approved in January 2003 PHARE (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland) TACIS (Russian Federation) PHARE and TACIS applications have not been successful to date UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

9. PROGRAMME IMPLEMEMTATION IN 2002REVIEW OF EUROBALTIC PAST ACTIVITIES 1. IMPROVING SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS WITHIN THE REGION BY IMPLEMENTING SINGLE EMERGRNCY CALL NUMBER 112 Study: Status of Emergency Call Handling in the CBSS Member States January - March, Iceland EU Workshop on Effective Handling of Emergency Calls, Organisational and legal aspects March, Sweden International Workshop on Best Technical Practices of Implementation of Single Emergency Call Number 112 May, Estonia UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

10. PROGRAMME IMPLEMEMTATION IN 2002REVIEW OF EUROBALTIC PAST ACTIVITIES 2. MITIGATION OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY EFFECTS OF MAJOR ACCIDENTS AND NATURAL DISASTERS • International Seminar on Preparedness for and Response to Industrial Accidents and Mitigation of their Trans-boundary Effects, and • Polish – Russian Trans-boundary Response Exercises (Municipalities and services of East Poland and Kaliningrad Oblast of the RF)June, Poland UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

11. PARTICIPANTS AND ORGANISERS Participants 80 participants from Poland and the Russian Federation and 20 representatives of: Armenia, Croatia Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland Ukraine • Organisers Poland - Self Government of Ketrzyn • Main and District HQ of • State Fire Service • All local services (Med., Police, Costgards • RRussian Federation thruogh • EMERCOM Office in • Kaliningrad • WWithin framework of UN ECE • and CBSS UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

12. PROGRAMME IMPLEMEMTATION IN 2002REVIEW OF EUROBALTIC PAST ACTIVITIES 2. MITIGATION OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY EFFECTS OF MAJOR ACCIDENTS AND NATURAL DISASTERS • Exercise Valga Rescue 2002 • September, Estonia UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

13. PROGRAMME IMPLEMEMTATION IN 2002REVIEW OF EUROBALTIC PAST ACTIVITIES 3. CREATING NECESSARY NETWORKS AND BUILDING UP INSTITUTIONAL AND HUMAN CAPACITY • 2nd Civil Protection Experts’ Meeting • Copenhagen, Denmark August 2002 • Meeting of Directors - General for Civil Protection • of the Baltic Sea States • Tallinn, Estonia September 2002 ALL FUNDS FROM NATIONAL SOURCES UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

14. ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2003 Activities related to EUROBALTIC Interreg III B project Sweden, Finland Joint exercise on responding to major oil spill accidents Lithuania/Sweden Training course on practical aspects of SEVESO II implementationMay, Poland Workshop on cultural heritage protection Poland Pilot project on identifying, mapping and deactivating WW II Russian Federation ammunition in Kaliningrad Region 3rd Civil Protection Experts’ Meeting August/September, Latvia Meeting of Directors - General for Civil Protection September of the Baltic Sea States Russian Federation UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

15. ND ACTION PLAN 2004-2006INTERREG IIIB EUROBALTIC Project Continuation of activities within 5 work-packages: 1. Risk assessment and mapping; safety dimension of spatial planning 2. How to involve and co-operate with non-state actors 3. Trans-nationalisation, cross-sectorality and regionalisation of civil protection 4. How to utilise new technologies: Information and decision support systems 5. Institution and human capacity building: from national to trans-national training INTERREG III B + NATIONAL FINNACING HAS BEEN SECURED FOR 2003-2005 UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

16. ND ACTION PLAN 2004-2006OTHER (NON-INTERREG) ACTIVITIES Workshop on 112 emergency call service (Russian Federation) Workshop on psychological aspects of disasters and terrorist acts Workshop on building co-operation network of CP for notification and mutual assistance Workshop on education for safety programmes Table top exercise on analysis iN selected emergency situations, negotiations and decision games Civil Protection Experts’ Meeting (annually) Meeting of Directors - General for Civil Protection of the Baltic Sea States (annually) FINANANCIAL SUPPORT SEARCH FROM PHARE AND TACIS UN ECE Workshop, Erevan

17. SUMMARY Platform for further effective co-operation in the field of Civil Protection within CBSS region has been build up and demonstrated Comprehensive, demand driven programme for enhancing safety, health and environment for benefit of region citizens and communities has been prepared and implementation has been initiated Co-ordination and synergy between financial instruments is necessary for consolidated planning and efficient management of BSS regional cooperation Regionalprogramme is very efficient way of improving safety UN ECE Workshop, Erevan