During the Panel Discussion on Blue Innovation for the Preparedness and Resilience of Islands and Coastal Communities, held as part of the external bureau of the European Committee of the Regions in Nicosia, Cyprus, EPP–CoR members stressed that preparedness—particularly in coastal and island areas—must begin long before emergencies occur, through prevention, anticipation and risk reduction.
The group underlined that local and regional authorities are essential to Europe’s preparedness architecture, as they are the first line of contact with citizens in times of crisis, manage key public services, and play a central role in implementing prevention and resilience policies on the ground.
María Isabel Urrutia de los Mozos, Regional Minister for the Presidency, Justice, Security and Administrative Simplification of the Government of Cantabria, emphasised that prevention and anticipation are fundamental phases for any system that aims to guarantee safety.
Urrutia, who served as CoR Rapprotuer on the opinion concerning European Preparedness Union Strategy recalled that the active and obligatory participation of local and regional authorities is indispensable, given their democratic and administrative role in Europe and their proximity to citizens. Urrutia also highlighted the need to strengthen the structural and operational capacities of local and regional authorities to ensure real preparedness through efficient, resilient and close governance. She pointed to Cantabria as an international reference in this field, notably through its Institute of Environmental Hydraulics, a research and development centre specialising in coastal management, climate change and marine renewable energies.
Intervening during the discussion, Alberto Cirio, President of Piedmont, shared the experience of the Italian regions—and of Piedmont in particular—on hydrogeological safety and environmental disasters, reaffirming the need for dedicated European funds in the next EU programming period.
Sari Rautio, President of the EPP–CoR, called for practical preparedness measures and honest communication about climate risks: “We need practical lessons on using basic appliances like radios with batteries and access to a wide range of tools that can be used in emergencies. Climate change is already leading to ice melt and rising sea levels, which is more evident from the Finnish perspective. We must tell people the truth about the risks and share strategies to stay alert and prepared. We cannot forget Europe’s peripheral regions. We need to ask what we can do to reduce the impacts of climate change. I believe in solutions that can slow it down, but we must also adapt across our entire society and economy.”
The debate comes as the European Parliament is also holding a discussion in Strasbourg on extreme weather events affecting Portugal, southern Italy, Malta and Greece, highlighting the urgency of strengthening European readiness, solidarity and preparedness mechanisms.