Disaster Risk Reduction: Council calls for EU’s proactive crisis response

The Council approved conclusions asking for a proactive and anticipatory crisis response.

Environmental degradation and climate change, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic have all demonstrated the interconnected and systemic character of today’s risks as well as their potential to evolve into disasters with cascading effects.

In this context, the Council has requested the Commission, the European External Action Service and the member states to shift from reactive crisis response to more proactive action, stressing the importance of effective disaster risk reduction (DRR), anticipatory action and risk-informed development.

The Council recognises the links between fragility, conflict and disasters and points to participatory and inclusive DRR processes and anticipatory action in line with the triple humanitarian- development-peace nexus.