At the end of 2020, taking stock of some lessons learned during the initial stage of the pandemic, the European Commission launched a package of initiatives aimed at paving the way for the establishment of a a stronger cooperation platform giving the European Union the proper instruments to prevent, prepare for and manage health crises…

In April 2020, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission adopted the Joint European Roadmap towards lifting covid-19 containment measures, as a response to the European Council Members’ call for a coordinated exit strategy from containment measures that will prepare the ground for a recovery plan. The Roadmap sets…

In March 2019, the EU Parliament and the Council adopted the text of the decision (EU) 2019/420 reshaping the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), as previously agreed at the end of 2018. With a view of strengthening Member States’ cooperation to reinforce the EU’s ability to respond to disasters (inside and outside the Union), the decision aims both…

In October 2019, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a non-binding resolution on A legal status for “climate refugees”. The Resolution affirms that the obligation to protect internally displaced persons lies under the responsibility of Member States and should represent the first level of legal protection in their legislation. Furthermore, the Resolution considers…