Press Release: Commission focuses on disaster prevention and reduction of risks at home and abroad

On 23 February, 2009, the European Commission adopted two Communications related to disasters: a Community approach to reducing the impact of natural and man-made disasters within the EU, and a strategy for supporting disaster risk reduction in developing countries. The Communications, adopted as a package, represented a first attempt to establish a more strategic approach. Proposed action at Community level focused on areas where a common approach is more effective than separate national approaches, such as developing knowledge, linking actors and policies, and improving the performance of existing Community disaster prevention instruments. With regard to developing countries, the Commission set out an EU strategy to help reduce the impact of natural disasters on countries considered to be high-risk. Both Communications contribute to the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for action 2005-2015, adopted at the world conference on disaster reduction.