06-09-2024
Ten Regional Countries Unite to Strengthen Civil Protection and Resilience
At the initiative of the Lithuanian Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė, the first Regional Civil Protection Forum was held in Vilnius. The forum discussed the increasing challenges in civil protection, the need for joint actions and unified measures, and the possibilities for EU financial support. The event was also attended by Janez Lenarčič, the European Commissioner responsible for crisis management.
"I am glad to see the Regional Civil Protection Forum building on the success of the EU Civil Protection Forum in June and working with the EU to increase security and resilience not just across this region, but across our Union. From strengthening shared strategic reserves to developing shelter and mass evacuation networks, it is increasingly clear that the only way we can continue to keep people safe is by working together. This Forum is an opportunity for us to take steps towards making these ambitions a reality," said European Commissioner Lenarčič.
Ministers and high level representatives from ten countries in the region (Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Ukraine), along with representatives from local municipalities, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and academia, discussed ways to strengthen civil protection and enhance resilience. The agenda included issues related to population warning systems, expansion of shelter networks, and mass evacuation of citizens. According to Minister Bilotaitė, in light of the harsh experiences of Ukraine, these elements of civil protection are crucial to ensuring the safety of citizens.
"As the war against Ukraine continues and with hybrid attacks against countries of our region, civil protection is a priority issue on our agendas. With the changed security situation, we must shift from civil protection to civil defense. Our mission is clear – to protect our people. Therefore, we need to change the way we think, act, and cooperate. We can no longer rely on peacetime civil protection measures – we must review and adapt them to hybrid and military threats. And we must do this together. After all, a safer and more resilient Europe is our common goal," stated Minister Bilotaitė.
In the case of military aggression, mass evacuation to neighboring and other regional countries becomes especially relevant. Lithuania has already started developing a national mass evacuation plan. The Minister invited the countries in the region to unite efforts and jointly create regional evacuation plans and test them during joint exercises. According to her, this process must involve the public, non-governmental organizations, businesses, international organizations, and EU institutions.
Minister Bilotaitė presented the significant achievements Lithuania has made in strengthening civil protection over the past year. The country has established a new model for emergency and crisis management, actively expanded its shelter network, modernized its population warning and information system, and currently has 65 preparedness officers responsible for civil protection in municipalities and ministries. A five-year comprehensive plan for preparing for a potential incident at the Belarusian nuclear power plant is nearing completion, and public awareness and resilience have been enhanced. The Lithuanian Parliament has approved a Civil Protection Strengthening and Development Program until 2030, with funding of 285 million euros.
The forum concluded with a joint statement from the ten countries in the region. It emphasized the importance of strengthening civil protection measures, the need to continue developing coordinated European crisis preparedness, increasing resilience, including public awareness, and ensuring adequate funding for this sector at both national and EU levels. The declaration also called for an EU-level risk assessment to better understand and, most importantly, uniformly comprehend the threats and ensure more effective civil protection measures. The countries also committed to continuing their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.