Defence Minister Karl Erjavec addressed on Tuesday a meeting of directors general for civil protection of EU member states, the EEA and candidate countries, saying that there would always be challenges in the field of disaster management and that civil protection was usually the first to provide help to disaster-hit areas.
Erjavec emphasised the importance of civil protection, pointing out that it was necessary that the burden of responsibility for protection and rescue following a disaster is shared at all levels so that unnecessary suffering and extensive material damage is avoided.
"Measures should be taken as soon as possible," said Erjavec, adding that good disaster prevention was also necessary. He welcomed the plans of the European Commission to draft this year reports on prevention in the EU and reducing disaster risk in third countries.
Erjavec also pointed out the importance of the EU's civil protection mechanism, which "in the years since its establishment has justified its existence and showed its effectiveness in the wake of all major disasters within and outside of the EU".
"Disasters of epic proportions have happened since," said the minister, pointing to the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean and last year's devastating fires and floods in the EU, in which an important role was also played by the joint civil protection mechanism.
Erjavec also welcomed the fact that EU directors general for civil protection met on Monday their colleagues from the Western Balkan countries. Incorporating these countries in activities of the EU's civil protection mechanism represents an important progress in their EU accession, he said.
The participants of the two-day meeting in Ljubljana are to exchange their opinions and present their positions on the further development of open issues, such as boosting EU's capacity to respond to natural and other disasters, the Defence Ministry meanwhile wrote.
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