EURO-MED-REACT

In such a complex and ever-changing risks, what COVID19 pandemic demonstrated, and in front of increased natural disasters, and growing hybrid threats, there is a need for more effective prevention, preparedness, and response. European Union has offered a comprehensive Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and EU tools to assist national and international communities to mitigate all kinds of natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.

EURO-MED-REACT is a new EU funded project, aim to align European Neighbourhood Policy countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East with the European Union civil protection and crisis management policies and EU tools, through a series of exercises in 2022 and 2023. EURO-MED-REACT implements vision of civil protection beyond borders.

EURO-MED-REACT takes stock and builds upon successful implementation by the multi-stakeholder international consortium of EU-CHEM-REACT (2017 - 2918) and continued implementation of EU-CHEM-REACT 2 (2019-2021) ICCSS led projects. These projects developed and conducted first European civil protection exercises in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine (www.ecr.iccss.eu). They were important activities to deepen relations with the EU in civil protection.

EURO-MED-REACT membership and partnership represents a broad multi-stakeholder and whole-government approach combining capacities of local authorities, government institutions, academia, industries and civil society organisations from EU (Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia), Eastern European Neighbouring Countries (Moldova and Ukraine) and the Middle East (Jordan). A group of national and international partners confirmed interest and were invited to participate in the project activities, including state agencies from Croatia, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, international organisations: OPCW, WHO, UN OCHA, INTERPOL.

EURO-MED REACT is designed to provide training and exercise environment to practice and improve national civil response plans and their cooperation with the EU and in transborder context in case of major emergency or disaster. EURO-MED REACT will cover chemical disaster and health incidents, including pandemic birds flu, and natural disasters, through exercises within UCPM The project exercises will be conducted in block approach, with Table Top Exercise (TTX) in Ukraine in 2022 and one Full Scale Field Exercise (FSX), as main event, in Moldova, in 2023. The exercises are built on a thorough assessment of risks which guided the developed scenario. Moldova, where FSX is proposed, planned, has confirmed growing risks caused by extreme weather conditions, including floods and aging gas and energy network infrastructure. The exercises scenario will consider the response to hybrid threats against critical and border infrastructure in participating countries. During the exercises all EU instruments in civil protection crisis management will be tested.

The project implementation will result in improvement both in-country and international coordination - with an emphasis on UCPM and EU tools - of preparedness for and response to natural and man-made disasters. Thus the European Neighbourhood Policy countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East will align with the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and EU tools.

Moldova and Ukraine will further use the participation in EURO-MED-REACT to prepare for joining the UCPM. Jordan will exercise for the first time the cooperation ad alignment with UCPM.

In order to underline the commitment of EURO-MED-REACT to the global obligations the completeness of planning and preparedness of CBRN emergencies, relevant requirements of UNSC Resolution 1540, Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and WHO IHR, will be tested.

WHO – participant of EU-CHEM-REACT 2 exercises - provision of methodology and International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS) in Warsaw, Poland www.iccss.eu- initiated and runs the international consortium EU-CHEM-REACT, which was awarded an EU grants for years 2017-2018 and 2019 – 2020. ICCSS possess major management experience in international projects with regional dimension, including in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and broad contacts in the region.

General Directorate of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic(HZSCZ)– https://www.hzscr.cz  national civil protection organ - EU-CHEM-REACT observer and EU-CHEM-REACT 2 beneficiary; possesses natural disaster response and operational capacities and experience on use of UCPM and EU tools, will provide chemical module and search and rescue module for FSX

The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova (DSMD) http://www.dse.md  - EU-CHEM-REACT observer and EU-CHEM-REACT 2 beneficiary,  national civil protection organ; possesses CBRN and natural disaster response capacities and experience in organization and conduct of exercises, provider of exercise capacities (fire service units, chemical module, search and rescue unit, host of FSX in 2023.

The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations of Romania (GIES), https://www.igsu.ro/  EU-CHEM-REACT and EU-CHEM-REACT 2 observer - national civil protection organ - possesses natural disaster response and operational capacities and experience on use of UCPM and EU tools, will provide chemical module and search and rescue module for FSX

Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic Section of Crisis Management  https://www.minv.sk  - national civil protection organ - possesses natural disaster response and operational capacities and experience on use of UCPM and EU tools, will provide chemical module and search and rescue module for FSX

Lviv State University of Life Safety, Ukraine (LSULS)https://ldubgd.edu.ua/– national leading education and training facility in fire service - Associate Beneficiary in EU-CHEM-REACT and EU-CHEM-REACT 2, broad competence in substantive and support staff, and a modern technical base to conduct trainings and exercises, host of TTX in 2022

Fire Safety Works and Services Association in Lithuania(PDPA)– http://www.pdpa.lt leading national civil protection industry association; possesses experience, contacts and training capacities to conduct practical activities in crisis management, including ECPP, will coordinate participation of volunteer fire services during FSX.

ASEZA – Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Jordan, https://aseza.jo/  a major industry area with major port, transportation hub, storage sites,  in Jordan, at border with Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia – provider of industrial expertise in industrial emergencies, active participation in the development an conduct (in training mood) of the industry related scenario in Jordan, and host of the First Planning Conference.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS INVITED:

United Nations

          UN OCHA – participant of EU-CHEM-REACT 2 exercises - coordination of effective and principled humanitarian action;          

          INSARAG  - global network of more than 90 countries and organizations under the United Nations umbrella which deals with urban search and rescue

conduct of training Table Top Exercise on use of bio agents national reporting on chem-bio disasters within use of International Health Regulations (IHT). 

OPCW – participant of EU-CHEM-REACT 2 exercises - verification of use of chemical weapons and international assistance in case of use of chemical weapons;

INTERPOL – criminal aspects of misuse of chemical agents

WCO - World Customs Organisation – transit of chemical agents

NATIONAL AGENCIES INVITED

The Emergency Management Service, The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia  https://police.ge/en/ministry/structure-and-offices/emergency-management-department– national civil protection agency; possesses CBRN and natural disaster response capacities and experience in organization and conduct of exercises;

Feuerwehr Dortmund - Dortmund Fire Service (FDD); https://www.dortmund.de/, possesses CBRN disaster response and operational capacities and experience on use of UCPM; provider of technical capacities for FSX.

Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) https://www.jaf.mil.jo - national civil protection organ -possesses CBRN and natural disaster response capacities and experience in organization and conduct of exercises. JAF is ICCSS partner in the implementation of the Middle East Chemical Safety and Security Program

• Kick-off meeting organized in Brussels as one of the first actions within the project: Timing: M1 (1 month after the start of the project)
• Firs Planning Conference, in Aqaba, Jordan, to present and promote the UCPM, provide training for civil protection and emergency management, and plan for the exercises;
• Table Top Exercise (TTX) in Ukraine. TTX aims to verify the local, national and international response in a simulated environment, and UCPM activation, to respond to major man made chem-bio and natural disaster: M7 
• Full Scale Exercise (FSX) a main event of the project in Moldova, M18
• Minimum 2 planning conferences, organized in Jordan: M3 and Moldova: M12.
• Minimum 3 trainings and Seminars conducted during the First Planning Conference, TTX, and FSX, in Jordan, Moldova, and Ukraine,to present and promote the UCPM, provide training for civil protection and emergency management personnel and students from civil protection/fir service universities, to increase inter-operability and host nation support measures, and to foster interaction and synergies between civil protection and humanitarian actors
• Lessons learnt meetings organized in Moldova: M19 and Brussels: M21.