Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity, and complexity of extreme weather events leading to disasters. In Europe alone, around 87 million people are exposed to multiple natural hazards. Yet, the role of the European Union in this field remains far from clear-cut.
On the one hand, the prevention and response to disasters induced by natural hazards (often referred to as natural disasters) remain primary responsibilities of the Member States, notwithstanding the EU’s growing competence in this field through subsequent reforms of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and the introduction of rescEU.
On the other hand, EU powers in this respect are institutionally and legally fragmented across the multitude of policy areas that the prevention and response to these disasters might criss-cross — from civil protection to humanitarian aid, climate, health or migration policy, security and defence or external relations.
Internationally, the EU has been participating actively in efforts towards the adoption of the first binding instrument on the protection of persons in the event of disasters and in forging partnerships with different actors for the delivery of humanitarian aid, raising questions about its influence, cooperation arrangements, and the degree to which the EU’s approach to (natural) disaster management shapes and is shaped by events beyond the EU.
Against this background, this conference invites a multidisciplinary dialogue on the law, politics, and governance of disasters induced by natural hazards in the EU and the role of the EU as an international disaster relief actor.