A new era for cooperation between Algeria and the EU on disaster risk management

The civil protection authorities of Algeria (DGPC) and the European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection department today formalised their cooperation in the field of disaster risk management, by signing an administrative arrangement that marks a new stage in the joint work of the European Union and Algeria on civil protection.

Director General of the European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection department, Monique Pariat, welcomed the signature: "This is the first administrative arrangement between the European Commission and one of its southern neighbours, and is a tangible sign that our cooperation with Algeria is close and deep. It marks a new step in deepening our joint efforts to respond effectively to disasters."

The administrative arrangement recognises that in the face of increasing disasters and their impacts, Algeria and the EU have a mutual interest in strengthening ties to better manage risks. The EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, which provides a coordinated European response to disasters both inside and outside the EU, occupies a prominent place in the agreement. The objective is to put in place operational coordination procedures for interventions under this mechanism.

DGPC and the European Commission are committed to deepening their joint work on prevention, preparedness and response to disasters on several fronts: sharing knowledge and best practices, setting up emergency response modules, e.g. for search and rescue or evacuation of victims, training of experts and other initiatives as required.

Background

In the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, which concerns in particular the EU's relations with Algeria, the EU is already funding individual or regional risk management projects. As for the DGPC, in November 2016, it organised a training course concerning personnel relief, earthquake and fire response for the staff of the EU Delegation in Algiers. In October 2016, the DGPC, the EU Delegation and the diplomatic missions of the Member States also participated in a joint crisis coordination exercise on the earthquake scenario.