Brussels, June 5, 2024 – The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Adrian Efros, and Colonel Alexandru Oprea, head of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, are taking part in the 8th edition of the European Civil Protection Forum held on June 4 and 5 in Brussels. This year’s forum, themed “Shaping a Disaster-Resilient Union: Charting a Path for the Future of European Civil Protection”, provides a platform for high-level discussions on enhancing the European Union’s disaster readiness and resilience.
Key developments discussed during the event include the accession of new Participating States to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), including Moldova, as well as the expansion of the European Civil Protection Pool, the launch of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network, and the introduction of a more comprehensive and reinforced financing framework for the UCPM.
The Forum Agenda covers panel discussions and workshops on various topics including resilience investment, local and EU disaster response cooperation, cross-border collaboration, technological support for disaster response, behavioral aspects of prevention, psychological recovery for firefighters, AI in disaster risk prevention, civil protection and humanitarian aid, knowledge transfer, governance, and strengthening resilience.
During his participation, Minister Efros contributed to the panel session titled “Enhanced European Resilience: Are Crisis Management Systems Fit for the Future?”. In his address he emphasized the importance of UCPM in fostering solidarity and coordinated responses to disasters. Highlighting Moldova’s recent accession to UCPM, he stressed the need to evaluate and enhance the mechanism to address emerging challenges, especially climate change, noting that „Moldova, as the newest Participating State in the UCPM, understands the importance of the forum for the civil protection community, serving as a hub for knowledge exchange, and networking among stakeholders in European civil protection.” In this context, the official referred to Moldova’s first deployment to combat forest fires in Greece, showcasing the country’s commitment to European resilience, adding that this deployment served both as a mission of solidarity and a valuable learning opportunity for the Moldovan team.
The 8th edition of the European Civil Protection Forum was attended by representatives of civil protection and disaster risk management authorities, civil society, private and scientific sectors, and academia from over 70 countries, as well as by representatives of EU institutions and international partner organizations, who actively engaged in discussions and exchange of knowledge and best practices.
