The “Civil Protection” Programme was approved by the European Commission on 16/06/2022 and is expected to contribute to the creation of a modern and effective civil protection mechanism that focuses on prevention, preparedness for response and intervention with the aim of protecting the lives, health and property of citizens, the environment, cultural heritage, infrastructure, wealth-producing sources, vital services, material and intangible assets from natural and technological disasters and other threats of related origin, which cause or may cause emergency situations.
The Programme has a total budget of 713.4 million euros in terms of total public expenditure and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The design and implementation of the Programme contributes to the achievement of Policy Objectives 1 and 2 of the PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT 2021 – 2027 and the European Cohesion Policy, for:
“A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity”, and
“A greener and more resilient Europe with low carbon emissions, by promoting the transition to clean energy, green and blue investments, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility”, respectively, by setting the following strategic objectives:
- Harnessing the benefits of digitalization for citizens, companies, research organizations and public authorities, and
- Adaptation to climate change, prevention and management of risks associated with both the impacts of climate change and human interventions in ecosystems.
The Programme is addressed to Services of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and its supervised entities, as well as Services of the Ministries of National Defense, Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, Citizen Protection, and Health involved in the National Crisis Management and Risk Response Mechanism.
The Programme is implemented through five (5) Priorities:
- National Database of Disaster Risks, Threats and Losses
- Equipment and accompanying actions for the prevention and response to natural disasters
- Addressing the impacts of man-made hazards – Public Health Protection
- Upgrading human resources skills
- Technical Assistance