CESI@home with

the European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič on

‘A European approach to combat forest fires &

other natural disasters?’

October 21st 2021­ | online via Zoom | 2.30 – 4 PM | Interpretation provided in EN/FR

On October 21st CESI members, friends and partners are invited to meet with the European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič for an open discussion on ‘A European approach to combat forest fires & other natural disasters?’.

Each year, EU citizens witness and suffer from the devastating effects of climate change in the concrete forms of extreme heatwaves, wildfires, torrential rains and devastating flooding.

While the extent and frequency of theses disasters increase, the frontline responders – notably firefighters and civil protection and emergency services personnel – go above and beyond their capacities to save people’s lives and limit the damages to property and nature. Against this background, there is an acute need for additional measures for the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of these disasters.

What are and should be European responses to crisis management? Do the ‘EU Civil Protection Mechanism’ or the ‘rescEU reserve’ require more resources, cooperation and exchanges of best practices between experts? Since the different countries have first responders with different status (professional, on call, volunteer, etc.), how can EU help to integrate them in rescue operations? Are more efficient European approaches to combat forest fires or other natural disasters desirable? Could further concrete EU strategies for combatting forest fires and other natural disasters be established? And, last but not least, what are the needs, interests and concerns of those fighting in the frontlines?

With the participation of:

Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management

Kirsten Lühmann, vice-president of the German civil servants federation ‘ddb beamtenbund und tarifunion’

Klaus Heeger, Secretary-General of CESI

Dr. Jörg Schmidt, komba Gewerkschaft, dbb, Germany

Alain Laratta, Secretary-General of the French firefighters’ union ‘Avenir Secours’

Xavier Boy, President of the French firefighters’ union ‘FA SPP-PATS’

Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz, European Commission