In accordance with Decision No 1313/2013/EU, the
Commission presented a report on the interim evaluation of the
Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) for the period
2014-2016.
On the basis of the findings of the external
evaluation report, its own assessment and the operational
experience and lessons learned, the Commission concluded that the
mechanism is well on track to achieve the general and specific
objectives set out in the decision.
Main findings: the
report showed that, in general, the objectives of the UCPM seem to
remain relevant to the needs of Europe:
- according to Eurobarometer 2017, a large majority
of European citizens support a common EU policy in the field of
civil protection and agree that the EU should lead the coordination
of disaster responses to help the affected countries, both in
Europe as in the rest of the world;
- recent resolutions of the European
Parliament also called on the
Commission to further support cooperation between the various
European civil protection authorities;
- stakeholders consulted
also highlighted the flexibility of the UCPM which they perceive
positively.
As regards the specific objectives, the analysis of the UCPM effectiveness showed
that:
- it is fully on track to achieve objectives pertaining
to disaster prevention framework (objective 1) and readiness for
disasters (objective 2);
- the UCPM's response to disasters (objective 3) has
been timely and effective according to the vast majority of
stakeholders consulted;
- public awareness and preparedness to disasters
(objective 4) have received slightly less satisfactory views from
stakeholders when compared to the other objectives;
- external coherence, that is the linkages between the
UCPM and other Union policy areas, has increased as compared to the
previous framework (2007-2013).
The existence of a single European hub for
information sharing and operational coordination, the
introduction of common European standards for disaster
response capacities and common guidelines on risk
assessments, which have contributed to the development of an
overview of risks in the EU in the framework of the UCPM
legislation, are perceived as having delivered high EU added value
in the areas of disaster response, preparedness and prevention,
respectively.
Challenges and necessary improvements: the evaluation also highlighted a number of
challenges that, if addressed promptly, could increase even further
the impact of UCPM supported action.
A general area identified for improvement is the
strengthening of the UCPM results monitoring framework,
including better measurability through the possible introduction of
quantitative indicators and baselines, in support of a stronger
focus on impact over time.
Several improvements are suggested:
1) Prevention:
- increase the focus of the annual prevention (and
preparedness) projects that the UCPM finances every
year;
- better articulate the linkages between the UCPM
prevention (and preparedness) projects and broader EU programmes
(e.g. Cohesion/European Regional Development Fund, European
Investment Bank, etc.);
- strengthen the link between prevention and
preparedness/response activities.
2) Preparation:
- re-assess the system of incentives for pooling assets
in the Voluntary Pool based on lessons learnt and other knowledge
emerging from operations;
- develop a more needs-based approach to training and
exercise programmes by focusing on skills rather than performance
(i.e., the number of individuals trained) to better meet the needs
of operations;
- expand the end-user side of trans-national early
warning systems platforms, such as the European Forest Fire
Information System (EFFIS) and the European Flood Awareness System
(EFAS).
3) Reaction:
- promote a consistent collection of quantitative data
and produce systematic analysis of response missions to improve
future performance;
- consider the pre-deployment of a small UCPM team ahead
of the formal UCPM activation when facing imminent disasters (e.g.
cyclones, river floods, etc.);
- further simplify the administrative and financial
procedures for engaging response capacities under the
UCPM;
- ensure the best match between operational needs and
experts deployed in the EU civil protection teams.
From a cross-cutting perspective, prevention and
preparedness missions should adopt a results-based approach,
and coherence between the UCPM and the instruments of the
neighbourhood policy should be strengthened.
Outlook: the report
stressed that the UCPM needs to be closer to local and regional
actors, while continuing to strengthen, through national civil
protection authorities, the governance of disaster risk management
at both cross-border and along the European-national regional-local
chain.
The Commission shall assess the appropriateness of
amending the provisions of Decision No 1313/2013/EU with a
view to: (i) strengthening effectiveness by providing realistic
incentives, attaining simplifications and reducing administrative
burden; (ii) matching current/emerging risks with response
capacities; (iii) making full use of Europe's expertise and assets
for preparedness and response.