European Civil Protection Forum, in Brussels on 4-5 June
European Civil Protection Forum, which was taking place in Brussels on 4-5 June under the theme: “Shaping a disaster-resilient Union: Charting a path for the future of European civil protection.”
The event was a timely opportunity to look back at what has been achieved by the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and to generate ideas for development, innovation and collaboration in the field of disaster risk management going forward. The event gathered over 1300 participants from over 70 countries who attended discussions, visited the stands of the Civil Protection village, watched demonstrations of various teams and enjoyed networking activities. They represented civil protection and disaster risk management authorities at different levels of governance, first responders and civil society organisations, private sector, science and academia, EU institutions and partner international organisations.
The event provided a good opportunity to look back on the achievements of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and to develop ideas for future development, innovation and cooperation in the field of disaster risk management.
On the evening of June 5, Crisis Management Commissioner Lenarčič awarded three medals for outstanding contributions to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism at the 8th European Civil Protection Forum.
EU Medical Evacuation Operation (Medevac) for Ukraine
Teams from Germany and Norway accepted the medals on behalf of the entire operation. The activities of the Union Mechanism for Civil Protection in Ukraine represent the largest operation to date, mobilizing around 150,000 tons of emergency aid. As part of this unprecedented effort, the Medevac operation is transporting patients in need of urgent medical assistance from Ukraine to hospitals across Europe. The contributions of Germany and Norway stood out as part of this coordinated European support.
Italian civil protection team for its contribution to the UCPM after the floods in Libya
On September 10, 2023, Cyclone Daniel swept across eastern Libya, bringing devastating floods to the region, particularly to the cities of Al Bayda, Al Marj and Derna. Following this tragedy, the UCPM was immediately mobilized and ten UCPM member states responded to Libya’s call for help. Among the actions of European solidarity and support, the Italian civil protection team stood out, arriving in Derna just 48 hours after the disaster and providing important cross-sectoral support. A total of 100 Italian emergency personnel were involved in the operation. The team also took responsibility for security during one of the most dangerous UCPM operations in recent years.
