RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 25 June 1987 on the introduction of Community Cooperation on Civil Protection (87/C 176/01)

THE COUNCIL AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

convinced that an initiative in the civil protection field would be of direct benefit in protecting the European citizen and would help to establish a People's Europe;

whereas all the Member States have made arrangements for taking action to deal with any disasters which might occur in their territory ; whereas these arrangements vary, according to the State concerned, with regard to their organization, extent and the resources available for mobilization;

whereas there is no need for Community intervention in the Member States' management or drawing up of emergency plans when confronted by disasters;

believing that cooperation between the Member States in the civil protection field seems likely to increase the ability of all Member States to respond according to circumstances and requirements ; whereas such cooperation could improve the efficiency of individual disaster management operations ; whereas practical steps are therefore called for at Community level, such as the drawing up of a Guide to Civil Protection in the European Community;

whereas exchanges should be organized or stepped up between Member States as part of staff training, particularly in the course of simulation exercises;

whereas it is advisable to ensure that better use is made of the data banks which exist in the civil protection field;

whereas a certain number of risks, including nuclear risks, will continue to be covered by their own special procedures; 1. HEREBY DECIDE to introduce a Guide to Civil Protection in the European Community. The Commission: - is invited to finalize this Guide within six months with the help of a committee of experts from the Member States,

- will regularly update the Guide.

2. HEREBY DECIDE that the abovementioned Guide will include a list of liaison officers from the Member States and the Commission in the civil protection field so that the information collected will help to produce a clearer picture of the assistance available in each Member State in the event of a disaster, enabling such assistance to be better and more swiftly used.

3. HEREBY AGREE that regular meetings of persons responsible for civil protection in the Member States may be held to ensure that the Member States are implementing the various initiatives for the determination of which they will be responsible.

4. HEREBY DECIDE to encourage, in cooperation with the Commission, exchanges of persons responsible for civil protection as part of training programmes undertaken by the Member States, in particular in the course of regular simulation exercises which could possibly receive Community support in a form to be determined and be coordinated at Community level. The experience gleaned from such exercises will be made available to the Member States.

5. HEREBY AGREE to work towards better use of the data banks which exist in the civil protection field in order to promote detailed exchanges of information by all the Member States on the structures and resources available to deal with disasters : they undertake, to that end, to draw up, in cooperation with the Commission, an inventory of the existing data banks with a view to improving their effectiveness.