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."