Preventive action and protection against natural hazards in the Mediterranean basin

Recommendation 1036 (1986)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 3 July 1986.See Doc. 5585, report of the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities.

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Considering that, despite great advances in our understanding of telluric phenomena and in preventive action against natural hazards, natural disasters, wherever they occur, continue to claim numerous victims and to impair economic and social structures ;

2. Pointing out that most of the proposals made by the Assembly in Recommendation 645 (1971), on European solidarity in disaster relief, are still entirely valid ;

3. Pleased to have been instrumental in initiating the European earthquake research programme now being discussed as part of the European Communities' exercise in scientific and technical co-operation ;

4. Noting that the countries of southern Europe, lying on the Alpine/Mediterranean earthquake belt, are exposed to unavoidable natural hazards ;

5. Believing that, in order to cope with these hazards, these countries must co-ordinate their efforts in both preventive action and the organisation of disaster relief ;

6. Welcoming the holding of two informal meetings in 1985 between ministers responsible for preventive action and protection against natural hazards in southern Europe, for the purpose of establishing co-operation between the countries concerned in disaster relief, the use of telecommunications satellites in emergencies and the standardisation of the technical terminology employed ;

7. Welcoming the establishment at San Marino of a European Centre for Medical Care in Disasters ;

8. Concerned also that protection of the cultural heritage be fully integrated into European co-operation and contingency planning relating to this field ;

9. Convinced of the need for an international legal instrument to enable the states of southern Europe to increase their co-operation effectively in the event of a natural disaster ;

10. Recalling the Assembly's assertion in Recommendation 1015 (1985) that the Council of Europe must develop a Mediterranean policy, one of the aims of which would be to improve the quality of life for the population concerned,

11. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a authorise the drafting of a partial agreement on mutual assistance between the countries of southern Europe in the event of a natural disaster ;

b invite the Mediterranean member states, when drawing up this new agreement, to provide for accession by interested Mediterranean non-member states.