Preparedness in civil protection and marine pollution - UCPM-2017-PP-PREP-AG

Deadline: May 11, 2017  
CALL EXPIRED

Specific Challenge:

The present call for proposals aims at funding projects in the area of prevention, preparedness and awareness-raising in civil protection and marine pollution.

Preparedness Projects

The term preparedness means a state of readiness and capability of human and material means, structures, communities and organisations enabling them to ensure an effective rapid response to a disaster, obtained as a result of action taken in advance.[1]

Preparedness is essential in the management of disasters - being well prepared can save lives and reduce the impact of disasters. In order to enhance European civil protection preparedness, this Call will fund primarily preparedness projects which build on the Decision No 1313/2013/EU.

The Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) is intended to improve the level of preparedness of civil protection systems, their personnel and population. When natural or man-made disasters strike a country, within the European Union or outside, the Mechanism allows for the necessary operational resources to be mobilised to assist and provide a prompt response.

As such, a project may very well be used to develop new concepts or models within the framework of the UCPM training programmes, or to identify ways of increasing efficiency with regard to deployment and/or plans for deployment of operational assets and modules to disaster stricken areas. This could include the establishment and/or development of multi-national modules. Such a project could also be used to develop new and more efficient ways of conducting UCPM exercises, of drawing up lessons following disasters, of planning emergency operations, etc.

Scope:

Objectives

Improve the preparedness of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to respond to disaster risks.

Develop cooperation across countries on challenges in the field of civil protection and/or marine pollution and enhance the awareness of professionals and volunteers.

Complement existing cooperation frameworks/instruments provided by relevant EU macro-regional strategies.

Support a closer partnership between the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and enlargement and Neighbourhood countries.

PREPAREDNESS PRIORITIES

1. Actions aimed at further developing the preparedness aspects of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, inter alia through:

the development of new response capacities (e.g. projects leading to the creation of multinational response capacities, the development and testing of niche capacities or innovative technologies and methodologies, the design of new expert teams, developing virtual pools of relief and shelter items.

better planning of operations (e.g. studies linking existing risk assessments to operational planning and preparedness under the European Emergency Response Capacity and the European Medical Corps),

enhanced quality and interoperability of response capacities (e.g. projects leading to the development of new quality and interoperability guidance, common methodologies, the design of new training courses for the European Emergency Response Capacity or the European Medical Corps, the development of tools for response capacities, implementation of recommendations from the EERC certification process). These activities will be undertaken on a pilot basis and their results will be presented to relevant working groups and the Civil Protection Committee to inform debate on more structural solutions.

2. Actions aimed at increasing the countries' preparedness for receiving international assistance in the context of the EU Host Nation Support Guidelines

3. Enhancing cooperation between civil protection and humanitarian aid actors

Projects should be complementary and should take stock of achievements of relevant activities undertaken at European level using Union funds. Please check the prevention and preparedness projects' database: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/funding-evaluations/financing-civil-protection-europe/selected-projects_en

Expected Impact:

The EU response capacity is enhanced through a better pooling of teams, assets and expertise.

Additional response capacities are made available to the European Emergency Response Capacity and the European Medical Corps.

Plans are developed to increase the efficiency of disaster response.

The quality and interoperability of EU response capacities are improved.

Approaches to meet specific civil protection and marine pollution needs and/or challenges at regional and cross border level are assessed, tested and evaluated.

The preparedness of IPA II beneficiaries not participating in the Mechanism or European Neighbourhood Policy country is increased through a closer cooperation with the UCPM and its Participating States.

TYPE OF ACTIVITIES WHICH CAN BE FINANCED UNDER THIS CALL

Cooperation projects and studies, which may include small scale exercises and training aimed at specific complementary improvements and innovation.

For more information about EU disaster risk management:

• http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/thematic/prevention-preparedness_en.pdf
• http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/thematic/disaster_risk_management_en.pdf

For more information about EU financed projects:

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/funding-evaluations/financing-civil-protection-europe/selected-projects

[1]Art. 4(3) of Decision 1313/2013.