Prevention and Preparedness for Cross-Border Risks

Call Updates

Feb 27, 2020 4:30:05 PM

The UCPM-2020-PP-AG Call Document has been updated: 

- Chapter 3.1: deadline for submitting applications is now set on 19 MArch 2020 (p. 15);

- Chapter 5.2: updated composition of consortia (p. 20).

Feb 21, 2020 3:37:10 PM

The submission session is now available for: UCPM-2020-CBR-AG(UCPM-EXT-AG), UCPM-2020-CBR-AG(UCPM-INT-AG)

Feb 17, 2020 2:05:56 PM 

Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement (Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community) on 1 February 2020 and in particular Articles 127(6), 137 and 138, the references to natural or legal persons residing or established in a Member State of the European Union are to be understood as including natural or legal persons residing or established in the United Kingdom. UK residents and entities are therefore eligible to participate under this call.

Jan 22, 2020 11:42:57 AM

The technical issues have now been solved and the Electronic Submission Service is accessible for both topics of call for proposals UCPM-2020-PP-AG. Applicants are invited to start encoding their applications. We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused.

Dec 18, 2019 11:20:58 AM

The Electronic Submission Service is not accessible yet due to technical issues. Nevertheless applicants are invited to start preparing their project on the base of the standard proposal template available under “Topic conditions and documents”.

 Prevention and Preparedness for Cross-Border Risks

ID: UCPM-2020-CBR-AG
Type of action: UCPM-INT-AG UCPM Internal Action Grant , UCPM-EXT-AG UCPM External Action Grant
Deadline Model : single-stage
Planned opening date: 17 December 2019
Deadline: 05 March 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time

Union Civil Protection Mechanism

Work programme year: UCPM-2020
Call name: Prevention and Preparedness Projects in Civil Protection and Marine Pollution
Call ID: UCPM-2020-PP-AG

Scope:

Topic: Prevention and Preparedness for Cross-border Risks

Disasters know no borders. Most natural and man-made disasters therefore present cross-border risks due to their spatial dimension (earthquakes, fires, severe weather, floods and space weather), as well as the volatility and scale of their impacts (pandemics, livestock epidemics, nuclear/industrial accidents). The human, economic or environmental impacts - including the impact on cultural heritage - of these hazards, as well as their likelihood of occurrence exist irrespective of national borders. In fact, the EU can benefit from tackling cross-border risks beyond its borders, particularly in IPA beneficiaries and in the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods.

The increasing complexity and emergence of new threats require more cross-sectoral, transdisciplinary and cross-country cooperation in all risk management phases.

Various EU legislative acts already require a collaborative approach to disaster risk assessment and management: for example, for flood risks or cross-border threats to health. The revised UCPM Decision also aims at stepping up the collaboration at cross-border level and between Member States prone to the same types of disasters.

While cross-border cooperation is relatively well-established in the area of emergency response, cross-border cooperation during the prevention and preparedness phases could be further enhanced. Notwithstanding, the response phase could also benefit from streamlined communication protocols and interoperable systems that overcome language barriers in emergency situations.

By focussing on countries that share a border, this Call for Proposals aims to foster a more sustained cooperation in cross-border regions.

This topic aims to enhance cross-border disaster risk management through prevention and preparedness in Europe and EU Neighbourhood countries.

Aplicants are invited to focus on one of the following call priorities (specific objectives):

Priority 1: Developing cross-border risk assessments

Without a risk assessment which takes into account cross-border risks, risk management will only partially address the risks a country faces.

The 2017 Overview of Risks already recognised that cross-border dimensions of risks could benefit from a more systematic focus in future risk assessments. Analysis of national risk assessments submitted to the European Commission in 2018/2019 again revealed that while cross-sectoral interdependencies of risks are tackled to some extent, the cross-border/regional/international dimension is still missing. Good practices already exist: the joint cross-border Benelux risk assessment, the Baltic Sea Region risk assessment or the Nordic Forum for Risk Analysis and Strategic Foresight.

In order to contribute to achieving Priority 1, this Call for Proposals will co-finance activities that aim to analyse risks with cross-border impacts, either building up to or already developing a cross-border risk assessment through the project. Beneficiaries will be civil protection authorities and stakeholders in Member States, IPA beneficiaries not participating in the Mechanism, and/or European Neighbourhood Policy countries that share a border.

In particular, project activities and outputs should lead to the achievement of up to two (2) of the following outcomes:

1.1 Cross-border risk assessments for identified cross-border risks are developed;

1.2 Joint data/information-sharing tools or platforms are established;

1.3 A network of competent authorities at national and sub-national level for specific risks is established;

1.4 Cross-border risk management plans or action plans for one or more risks (identified in a cross-border risk assessment) are developed.

Examples of project activities and outputs to be funded include, among others:

Risk assessment report including, where appropriate, analytical products preparatory to a risk assessment, such as cross-border hazard assessments, cross-border risk scenarios, cross-border vulnerability analysis, risk mapping, etc.;
Agreements, working procedures, methodologies, etc., required to establish a functioning cross-border network of competent authorities at national and sub-national level for specific risks;
Open source IT platforms for data/information-sharing, including, where relevant, common methodologies on disaster loss data collection across borders;
Specific cross-border action plans for the management of cross-border risks identified in joint risk assessments.

Priority 2: Enhancing cross-border emergency management

The need for collaboration in the field of disaster management arises when capacities of affected regions and communities are exceeded and assistance from bordering communities is required. Especially in border areas, assistance can be required from communities in neighbouring countries in order to provide citizens with quickly deployable, reliable and efficient emergency services.

In an initial phase, cross-border cooperation may focus on identifying and addressing legal and institutional bottlenecks that hinder mutual assistance. To this end, coherent and coordinated regional cross-border policy, in which the individuality and specific conditions of each border region within Europe and with the EU Neighbourhood are respected, is needed. Every region has its own specificities (e.g. population density, economic sectors, risks, specialised response capacities available) and needs. Thus, the approach to cross-border collaboration will also vary from region to region.

Once the benefits of cross-border collaboration are demonstrated, knowing and understanding each other’s civil protection and emergency management structures, work procedures and culture are essential for effective cross-border collaboration. In the medium-term, cross-border emergency management will be more successful if the cooperation is tested via regular and thorough operational exercises. Cross-border cooperation can be of particular value in preparing for risks with a potential high impact but a low likelihood of occurrence (Hi-Lo risks). These might be more efficient to prepare for jointly with neighbouring regions using one common planning instead of several separate plans.

Some regions have a long tradition of cross-border collaboration in disaster risk management and this has led to a structured exchange of knowledge and good practices over the years. This wealth of knowledge provides a solid base for cross-border collaboration that the UCPM can help disseminate and apply in other regions across Europe and its Neighbours.

In order to contribute to achieving Priority 2, this Call for Proposals will co-finance actions that aim to enhance cross-border disaster preparedness. Beneficiaries will be civil protection authorities and stakeholders in Member States, IPA beneficiaries not participating in the Mechanism, and/or European Neighbourhood Policy countries that share a border.

In particular, project activities and outputs should lead to the achievement of up to two (2) of the following outcomes:

2.1 The understanding of the institutional and legislative context of emergency management in neighbouring country/ies is enhanced;

2.2 Existing gaps to cross-border emergency response are identified;

2.3 Cross-border interoperability (e.g. of civil protection modules or other response capacities) is strengthened;

2.4 Cross-border response plans are developed/improved, including Host nation support;

2.5 Cross-border operational collaboration in disaster response is tested and strengthened.

Examples of project activities and outputs to be funded include, among others:

Analysis of legal/institutional aspects of cross-border cooperation and mutual assistance:
Gap and needs analyses for cross-border preparedness;
Host nation support guidelines with specific cross-border aspects;
Risk management capability assessments for cross-border areas;
Cross-border training programmes tailored to local/regional needs;
Agreements and memoranda of understanding regarding cooperation and mutual assistance in emergency management;
Technical specifications for development or enhancement of cross-border communication tools (e.g. radio communication) ;
Design and realisation of joint cross-border small-scale exercises for previously identified risks.