Improving emergency response to feature prominently on European agenda

Romania's Interior Minister Lucian Bode said on Monday that situations such as the one that Greece faced this summer compelled state officials to make decisions immediately, and that improving emergency response is an item that will feature prominently on the European agenda. "The difficult situation that Greece has faced this summer, but also other European countries and not only, compels us to make decisions for the future now, not tomorrow or in five or ten years when it might be too late. Improving emergency response is a subject that will certainly feature prominently on the European agenda and will require a joint and coordinated effort to develop proactive public policies and ensure properly sized resources to meet the new challenges," Bode said at Ciolpani, upon the return to Romania of the fire brigades that participated in the extinction of wildfires in Greece. He added that the presence of the European commissioner for crisis management in the affected areas of Greece is a signal that the European Union cares about strengthening policies at this time. "The focus will be on building a sustainable and long-lasting emergency management system capable of managing the protection of citizens in the face of potential disasters at all times. I am convinced that we all understand the urgency of an integrated and responsible emergency management approach. Romania has understood that. It is without a doubt an active and reliable partner of the European Union," he said. The 142 Romanian firefighters who helped put out wildfires in Greece were promoted to rank on Monday at the request Bode, and head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) Raed Arafat. They also received DSU's badge of honour. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mihai Stoica, editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)