On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the Institute for Public Policy Research held a highly successful webinar on "Civil Protection: Prevention and Action for Safe Communities."
The event attracted a large number of participants from local government, civil protection agencies, scientists, and citizens, underscoring the vital interest in strengthening communities' resilience to natural disasters and crises. During the webinar, important aspects of civil protection were presented, with contributions from distinguished speakers.
The event was opened by Ms. Ioanna Giannakidou, member of INERP, who moderated the discussion.
Mr. Filippos Savvidis, Director of the Office of the Member of Parliament, former European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management and former Minister of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection, Mr. Christos Stylianidis, presented the RESCEU project, an initiative aimed at creating a pool of resources/a special operational reserve managed by the EU and activated either when existing capabilities at national level are insufficient or when resources from the European Civil Protection Pool are insufficient or unavailable.
Next, Ms. Theodora Blioumi, Civil Protection Officer at the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and Civil Protection of Thessaly, Ministry of Public Administration and member of INERP, presented an in-depth analysis of Civil Protection, i.e., the protection of the lives, health, and property of citizens, a country's infrastructure, and cultural assets from natural, technological, and other disasters due to emergencies in times of peace. He referred to the Civil Protection System in accordance with the relevant legislation, the National Crisis Management and Risk Response Mechanism (Nat-CHAMM) and the role of Civil Protection agencies. This was followed by an analysis of the National Register of Preventive Fire Protection Measures for Properties, the obligations of citizens and municipalities, and the penalties. The presentation continued with information on the conditions for organized preventive evacuation in emergency situations and the role of 112. The usefulness of education as a tool for enhancing preparedness and awareness was demonstrated, as was the importance of civil society's contribution to the achievement of public civil protection policy. Finally, research data was presented on the views and attitudes of citizens and civil protection officials regarding the strategy and work of civil protection agencies.
Next, Mr. Miltiadis Kyrkos, former Member of the European Parliament, raised the critical issue of Civil Protection in European countries, offering a comparative analysis of the different approaches and best practices applied at European level, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for improvement.
The presentations were followed by a fruitful dialogue and exchange of views between the guests and the audience, highlighting the need for continuous cooperation, innovation, and the formulation of comprehensive strategies for the protection of citizens and infrastructure.
Through such initiatives, INERP reaffirms its commitment to promoting scientific research and public dialogue on key issues, contributing to the development of evidence-based and effective public policies.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)