8th Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief Banda Aceh 5-6 December 2008

Alessandro VillaEUROPEAN COMMISSION External Relations Directorate-General Crisis Platform - Policy Coordination in Common Foreign Security Policy

EU crisis response and prevention framework

Presentation will look at:

EU Crisis management (framework and tools): Managing crisis within EU Managing crisis outside EU

Recent cases

Main EU institutions & organs

Investment Bank

Parliament

Court of Auditors

Court of Justice

Commission Council

Economic and Social Committee

Committee of the Regions

Central Bank (ECB)

Directive

Regulation

EU external action & aid

It includes external relations, development cooperation and crisis response in third countries

EU–level external action and aid combined and complemented with continued bilateral action of Member States

Reform of the EU external aidImprove the quality and impact of EU assistanceStrengthen the role of the EU as an actor on the international sceneAgree the central policy priorities and resource-allocation criteria

2007-13: A significant increase in funding for External Relations

EU Budget expenditures (2007-2013)

45%

8%

4%

35%

5%

3%

AgricultureExternal policiesR&DStructural FundsAdministrationOther

1,3% of MSs GDP External aid = € 10 billion/year

What drives EU external action?•Fundamental values (democracy, HR, RoL)•Development agenda (MDG) •Humanitarian response (relieve human suffering)•Domestic Political Agenda (pursuit of internal prosperity and security – through trade policy, energy security, protection of critical infrastructure, public health, police and judicial co-op, asylum & migr)•Security Agenda (integrity, security of population)•EU political project (assert the EU's identity on the international scene)•Promote international cooperation•Preservation of peace & strengthen international security in accordance to UN principles•International guidelines and frameworks - multilateralism (United Nations)

EU external relations tools

EU external relations’ tools Political Dialogue Diplomacy Agreements with third countries and overall EU policy

framework Trade and economic measures Restrictive measures Development and co-operation assistance

Crisis response instruments

Crisis management’ in EU external action. Why EU?

•Changed international environment: increasing crises (conflicts and natural disasters) within and between countries, fragile States, ‘soft’ security threats, etc.

•A stronger role for EU as foreign and security policy actor is expected and now crucially depends on EU capacity to respond to ‘crises’ in third countries

•MSs capacities insufficient when playing separately

WHAT IS a ‘crisis’ ?No single definition of ‘crisis’ ( not only ‘political’ crisis but also emergencies from natural or techno disasters...)

EU values but also political judgement at EU level (‘Crisis’ when Council so decides, and situation has impact on key European interests or security).

EC legal texts (IfS regulation) offer a working definition:

1)situation posing a threat to law and order, the security and safety of individuals, situations threatening

to escalate into armed conflict

or to destabilize the country

2)Crisis is when the core values of a society are at stake and when immediate support is needed to safeguard….

WHAT IS ‘crisis management’ ?

•Civilian vs military ‘Crisis Management’ : EU more of a ‘civilian power’ for a civilian approach•Broad definition of CM: ‘processes, programmes and activities aimed at reducing tensions in a crisis and decreasing instability’ (preparedness & response)•Think broader about using all possible tools at EU disposal in a coherent manner during the whole cycle of the crisis

EU driving principles, objectives & priorities in the management

of a crisis Relief of human suffering through humanitarian ass. & civil

protection Restoring livelihoods, access to basic public services and

reconstruction of critical infrastructure Re-establishment of the conditions of stability allowing the

restoration of political relations, resumption of ‘normal’ dev. and coop. policies

Building national & int. capacities to respond to crisis Enhancing phasing of crisis (cycle relief/early recovery/

sustainable recuperation & reconstruction cycle) Early recovery (ER activities are very important for

achieving long term development objectives) Crisis prevention, preparedness and risk reduction

Why Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is becoming a priority?

Disasters are currently increasing (frequency and magnitude) and undermine the results of development cooperation

Climate change is most likely to blame for this new sharp up-ward trend

A natural hazard does not necessarily need to translate into a disaster and therefore into a humanitarian catastrophe

Disasters divert important resources from development to crisis response

Prevention costs a fraction of what emergency relief and recovery cost;

EU biggest provider of development cooperation → mainstreaming DRR = good development policies and practice

EU- DRRTools Development cooperation Crisis response instrumentsPolicies EU Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction in developing countries

(Feb 09) Commission working paper on Disaster Preparedness and

Prevention (DPP) European Consensus on Development European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid Communication on Reinforcing the Union’s Disaster in Response

Capacity (march 08) Green Paper on Adapting to Climate Change in Europe (2007) Communication on Reinforcing EU Disaster and Crisis Response in

third countries (2005)

Early Recovery (ER) Importance of early recovery activities Filling the gap between relief and development

(offers opportunity the re-build back better including DRR)

National-international cooperation around a nationally-owned framework is essential

Post Crisis Needs (PCNAs) Assessment and recovery planning

Joint EU/UN/WB platform for partnership and action for Post Crisis Needs Assessment and recovery

planning for the delivery of an effective and sustainable international response to disaster and

conflict-related crises

EU crisis response tools

•Humanitarian Aid instrument (ECHO)•Civil Protection (MSs, MIC) •Science and technology (JRC)•Macro-financial assistance (enlarg., dev coop.)

Security Policy•Stability Instrument (IfS)•Common Foreign and Security Policy budget (CFSP)

Crisis response & tools

ECHO & civil protection

Instrument for stability Development cooperation

relief

recovery reconstruction

PCNAs

Key EU actors in crisis response HQs in Brussels:

EU Member States, both in second-pillar structures (PSC, CIVCOM, RELEX Counsellors) and in geographic working groups (AWG…) or programme committees

EU institutions (Council Secretariat, Commission) In the field :

Commission Delegations (130, directly in charge of implementing most assistance; 6 regional with crisis response tasks, 900 officials, 3000 local staff, experts, crisis correspondents)

30 ECHO offices with 150 experts On-going EC / EU projects MS embassies (including Presidency) EUSR

Humanitarian aid -ECHO

•“Humanitarian aid, the sole aim of which is to prevent or relieve human suffering, is accorded to victims without discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic group, religion, sex, age, nationality or political affiliation, and must not be guided by, or subject to, political considerations” (EC Regulation 1257/97)•EU largest single provider of humanitarian assistance, •ECHO operates through network of partner NGOs, capable of acting on the same day (tsunami)

RELEX / Instrument for StabilityCrisis Platform

Delegations of the Commission

Recent Experiences

Bangladesh (2007) Myanmar (2008) Haiti (2008) Yemen (2008)

Thanks for your attention