Written Declaration on early warning for citizens in major emergencies

WRITTEN DECLARATION
pursuant to Rule 116 of the Rules of Procedure
by Gabriele Albertini, Kader Arif, Caroline Lucas, Elizabeth Lynne and Dimitrios Papadimoulis
on early warning for citizens in major emergencies

The European Parliament,
- having regard to Rule 116 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. acknowledging the importance of efficient early warning (EW) for citizens in case of imminent or developing major emergencies, with a view to reducing suffering and the loss of human life,

B. aware that the establishment of EW and alert systems has been repeatedly requested by Parliament and is provided for in several existing and upcoming legislative acts,

C. whereas EW systems involve warning authorities through risk-dependent (natural, technological, social) regional networks and alerting citizens via telecommunications networks (radio, TV, sirens, mobile phones, etc.),

D. whereas the EU lacks a general, multilingual, simplified and efficient system for alerting citizens about imminent or developing emergencies and whereas the implementation of such a system is directly relevant to several EU policies (telecommunications, environment, health, internal security and civil protection) and also affects others (transport, energy and tourism),

1. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to implement the necessary processes and resources for developing an efficient EW system for citizens in case of imminent or developing major emergencies throughout the EU;

2. Calls on the Commission to present appropriate legislative proposals in this field, taking into account all the risks and policies involved;

3. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Council and the Commission.