Plan of Action of the BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency
Assistance for the coordinating period of the Republic of Bulgaria
(01.05.2005 – 30.04.2007)
The BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance,
Taking into consideration the overall aim of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) to promote stability and economic prosperity in the region;
Cognizant of the importance of region security increasing as well as terrorist threats preparedness enhancing through implementation of more active relations and training of the experts of the BSEC Member States;
Stressing that the adoption of standard procedures for interaction in emergency assistance among the BSEC Member States for cooperation between member states in assistance rendering during emergencies and sea water pollution is crucial for further Black Sea conservation;
Underling the importance of the member states cooperation in training and exercise working out aiming to coupe with emergency situations emerging;
Assuming that the active participation of the Member States is of crucial importance to achieve the Action Plan aims,
The main priorities of the BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance for the period of the presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria will be focused on the following:
• Interaction of the BSEC Member States in order to find out new approaches and methods to apply decisions and principals reflecting by the Agreement on collaboration in emergency assistance and emergency response to natural and manmade disasters;
• Acceptance of the Additional Protocol to the Agreement on collaboration in emergency assistance and emergency response to natural and man-made disasters for establishing a liaison officers network and reliable basis for information exchange among the Black Sea countries;
• Implementation of training programs and exercises;
• Working out and adoption of questionnaires for national capacities for assistance rendering and establishment of a data-base of the regional forces for providing help in case of emergencies;
• Adoption of standard procedures for interaction in requesting and rendering assistance to the BSEC Countries;
• Elaboration of a Mechanism for interaction and control among the BSEC national authorities and NGOs;
• Establishment of relations with regional initiatives that are concerned with issues such as infrastructure protection, assessing the risks in the Black Sea area and preparedness to respond in case of terrorist threats;
• Establishment of principles and frameworks for harmonized BSEC Member States’s actions in case of natural and man-made disasters, as well as establishment of close relations with regional and international institutions and agencies (including related BSEC Working Groups);
• Further improvement of mutual actions and faster response of the BSEC Member States with a view to prevent and eliminate the consequences of emergencies, providing humanitarian assistance to population;
• Cooperation in development and application of modern technologies to fight major damages, disasters, fires, inclusive aircraft fighting forest fires, medical assistance to the injured, protection of environmentally hazardous consequences, transportation and distribution of humanitarian cargoes etc;
• Cooperation with the Black Sea Commission in mitigation of consequences of the oil spills in the Black Sea basin.