Eurobarometer: citizens value civil protection. Objectives: early warning, emergency response, investment

There is broad consensus among European citizens regarding the actions of the European Civil Protection Mechanism in EU Member States. This emerges from data collected with a Eurobarometer survey published today, according to which 94% of respondents in the 27 EU Member States think that, when a disaster strikes, other EU countries should provide help. And 91% are supportive of the EU helping other countries in the world. Also, there is clear support for the EU’s coordination role in crisis management and emergency response (90% of respondents are in favour) as well as for the need to step up this action (the percentage has risen from 84% in 2020 to 90% today). These results support the efforts undertaken by the European Commission and Member States, which last year identified five key objectives where more should be done, namely anticipating and preparing for risks, enhancing early warnings, scaling up response capacities, and securing robust civil protection systems. These objectives, the Commission said in a statement, “will serve as a compass for policy and investments”. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič expressed satisfaction, reaffirming the determination to further strengthen the EU Civil Protection Mechanism so that “across Europe we are also collectively better prepared for future disasters”.
Valentina Bombelli