 EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement is a platform for co-operation in the field of major natural
and technological disasters between Europe and the South of the Mediterranean. Its field of competence covers the major natural
and technological disasters - knowledge, prevention, risk management,
post-crisis analysis and rehabilitation.
The main objectives of the EUR-OPA Major Hazards
Agreement are to reinforce and to promote co-operation between Member States in
a multi-disciplinary context to ensure better prevention, protection against
risks and
better preparation in the event of major natural or technological
disasters.
Set up by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 1987 [Resolution (87)2],
the Agreement is "open" because any non-member State of the
Council of Europe may apply to become a member. It has to date
27 Member States.
At the political level, the decisional body is the
Ministerial Meeting (which
takes place every four years) where each State is represented by its responsible minister(s) as regards natural and technological major
hazards. Circumstances and urgency however being able to justify the
special convocation of the group apart from the biennial meetings.
It is assisted by the
Committee
of Permanent Correspondents, who meets twice a year, where each State is
represented by a Correspondent who plays the role of permanent relay between
the
national authorities and the Agreement. The Permanent Correspondents and
their experts have the following tasks:
to develop and prepare the Ministerial Meetings;
to gather materials necessary for the elaboration and publication of background
documents and adopted resolutions;
to exchange and share information on relevant events which have occurred in
the participating countries.
The
languages used during the meetings are English and/or French. The documents
of meeting are reproduced in English and/or French.
At
the scientific and technical level, the specific role of the
Specialised
Euro-Mediterranean Centres is to develop projects, both at the national and
regional level, who aim to improve the awareness and resilience to major
risks within the population.
Once per year the
Meeting of the Directors of
Specialised Euro-Mediterranean Centres facilitates the concrete
contribution to the common objectives of the various partners through
implementation of European expertise and research, training and information
programmes.
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