Concluding the EU-funded Prevention Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man made Disasters in the Eastern Partnership countries- phase 3, after 4 years of successful implementation through joint efforts to enhance and strengthen civil protection capacaties.
During the two-day conference, the programme leads of consortium partners and partner countries focused on key achievements and tangiable results, including improved cross-border cooperations, bringing partner countries closer to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, cross-cutting issues and technology for early warning systems. It was an opportunity for representatives from the EU, the Consortium and the Partner countries to celebrate the achievements together looking back on successful partnerships where we have worked together for a safer future, which has been made possible through dedicated and commited work of all. This programme leaves a legacy that will continue to shape a safer and more resilient future for all the countries involved.
Miriam Malmqvist, Head of the Resilience Building section at the Swedish Civil Contingencies agency (MSB) attended the final conference and made her remarks during the opening ceremony:
- On behalf of MSB I am very proud to have been part of this succesful programme. The PPRD East 3 has truly exceeded expectations, not only meeting its planned activities but going well beyond them. This success is thanks to the strong partnerships in every area of intervention and a high degree of cooperation. We have faced challenges over the years and in many ways the world is a different place from when we started the programme in 2020. This has made it clear that it is even more important to work together to build resilient societies. The PPRD East 3 was able to adapt throughout the challenges and the collaborative approach adopted was also its strength where work packages were not silos but all worked together.
Our local counterparts were key to our success—they were committed from day one, contributing expertise and working hand-in-hand to implement the activities. In many cases, they took initiative, integrating essential elements into national frameworks and replicating results beyond the pilot areas. The effectiveness of these efforts is evident in the outcomes of the tabletop exercises, legal framework updates, and the tools now used by civil protection authorities in the participating countries.
The PPRD East 3 Programme has exemplified the strength of cooperation and collaboration across Eastern Partnership countries and the European Union. Throughout the programme, significant progress has been made, with tangible outcomes in disaster preparedness, response capabilities, and civil protection development. This collaborative spirit has led to enhanced regional resilience, mutual knowledge exchange, and alignment with EU civil protection standards, ultimately fostering a safer and more prepared region.
This four-year programme aimed to enhance resilience and response capacity to catastrophic events through an integrated approach combining training, practical exercises, technological development, and innovations in risk management policies.
Throughout the programme, large-scale exercises were conducted to test and strengthen cross-border cooperation, the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, and the use of advanced technologies and processes aligned with international standards. These exercises demonstrated the importance of a coordinated and technologically supported response in complex emergency situations.
Training and knowledge sharing were key elements of the programme, which significantly improved the operational capabilities and preparedness of the involved countries, as well as reinforcing risk management policies to ensure continuity in actions and continuous adaptation to emerging challenges. Guidance documents were developed and presented, which will be fundamental for future disaster risk reduction initiatives.
Early Warning Systems is a crucial aspect to ensure timely and effective responses to emergencies, reducing the impact of potential disasters. Disaster Risk Assessment is another key pillar for understanding and mitigating risks associated with catastrophic events. The presentations and discussions gave an overview of the progress made and lessons learned, helping to solidify the foundation for future developments in Disaster Risk Management.
The final conference was the last technical activity where we discussed our joint results reached in the last 4 years of efforts.
Davide Miozzo,Team Leader reflects:
-The most astonishing thing to observe is a clear shift in the methodological approach of Civil Protection in our countries. There are tangible results demonstrating that the prevention and preparedness culture has entered into the planning routines. The activities carried out in our pilot areas are now being replicated across the countries and there is a visible strengthened interagency cohesion.
As father of two wonderful daughters, I'm glad to see that there has also been a decisive shift towards the inclusiveness of strong and competent women in our line of work. Most of the amazing results wouldn't have been possible without their devotion, skills and astonishing determination. This was true both in the consortium and in the partner countries. I stand at your side now and forever in this fight for a safer world.
I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to the exceptional team of experts and local coordinators, whose dedication and support have been instrumental in the success of this initiative. Your hard work and expertise have truly made a difference. We can now honestly say that our world is better off now then four years ago, and this is mainly thanks to you.
Durin the conference, each partner country was able to reflect on the advisory documents with each work package lead trainer and to look forward for sustainable actions that will continue beyond programme results.
The final conference was hosted by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Interior in Moldova. The 40 participants were representatives from all partner countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, Consortium partners Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) as the lead agency and programme coordinator, the Emergency Services Academy Finland (ESAF), the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic – Section of Crisis Management, the Centro Internazionale in Monitoraggio Ambientale (CIMA) and the Italian Red Cross (CRI), other regional programmes and the EU.
Ms. Paule Gailiunaite, Programme Manager of PPRD East 3, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations concludes:
-The EU-funded PPRD East programme has established itself as the backbone programme for enhancing partner countries resilience to natural and human-induced disasters. The third phase of PPRD East has proved instrumental in bringing Eastern Partnership countries closer to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and significantly increased countries' capacities to prevent, prepare and response to disasters.
The EU will continue supporting national civil protection authorities and continue good cooperation. We hope that partner countries will incorporate the programme results and transfer the knowledge into their national civil protection systems, says Paule Gailiunaite, Programme Manager of PPRD East 3, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
Key Achievements of PPRD East 3
Looking AheadWhile much has been achieved, there are two key areas that need continued focus to build on the success of PPRD East 3:
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