On 24-25
May 2017, Mr Stanislaw Szwabski, Councillor of Gdynia City took part in a
delegation of the European Committee of the Regions' Conference of Presidents which
visited Central Italian regions hit by several earthquakes. The goal of the mission was to show political support and
solidarity with local and regional authorities in Italy and make EU support to
disaster-stricken areas more effective. The objective was also to exchange best
practices: to receive information on the state of play and the strategy for
managing the impact of the earthquakes by each region, with a view to
translating this into policy recommendations.
In 2016 and
2017, Central Italy was hit by violent seismic activities, concentrated in the
regions of Umbria, Lazio, Abruzzo and Marche killing over 300 people leaving
thousands of others homeless.
The CoR
members agreed that the Italian response to this devastating earthquake showed
that local and regional governments, being on the frontline of disaster
response, know best how to prepare and cope with such situations. That is why
upper levels of government need to listen to their voice and stimulate
cooperation and the sharing of best practices as that is the right way to
create a faster EU emergency response to future catastrophes.
In response
to these calls, on Wednesday 24 May the European Council and European
Parliament reached a provisional deal on aid for regions hit by disasters which
stipulates that the European Union may meet up to 95% of the cost of
reconstruction in local disaster zones, compared to current 50%. The agreement
now needs to be officially approved by both institutions.
EA Group
President said: "The people of central Italy have been hit by a
series of disasters that have brought severe hardship to the population and
handicaps to the regions affected. The most important task of the authorities
and institutions is to show their support and solidarity, also in practical
terms, and to show unity to fight fear and give hope for the future to the
citizens touched by these events. As a Group we will work with the European
Commission and the United Nations to draft policies that benefit European
communities, and will continue to facilitate the exchange of best practices in
disaster risk reduction."