Abstract
In the EU today, there is an abundance of systems1 for information exchange, early warnings and rapid alerts on serious events that could have severe implications for many Member States and their citizens. These systems are important components of the Member States' national crisis preparedness since they involve many players within the national emergency management systems, and since they enable the Member States to quickly react to possible threats. Although the aim of the systems is to enable swift response at the EU level, it can be argued that they have other purposes than purely responsive. Since the basis of the systems is that a Member State experiencing an emerging or already developed crisis informs the other Member States, such an alert might bring about measures in other countries for actually preparing for the crisis. Moreover, the systems could have a preventive effect since they enable the Member States to prevent crises from entering their country, for instance when the EU isolates areas where a pandemic outbreak has been discovered. On a psychological level, the rapid alert systems can also be seen as preventive since they can put pressure on Member States to work more on preventive measures in order to avoid the somewhat shameful process of informing other countries that they have, for instance, failed in the maintenance of critical infrastructures such as nuclear plants.
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Notes
- 1.
The word “system” will in this chapter be used for describing a set of measures for achieving a rapid spread of information. Hence, the word “system” in this context does not specifically imply a technical or web-based system; it could, for instance, also refer to the standardised procedure to place a phone call to a number of people in case of emergency.
- 2.
Business continuity entails activities within an organisation in order to ensure the maintenance of critical functions in case of a disruption, and a swift recovery after this. The aim is to identify key functions and services and what threats could be facing them, as well as to plan and perform exercises for possible risk scenarios. It is considered important that business continuity is integrated in the regular processes of an organisation and not something which is only activated in the event of a crisis. Business continuity is also often referred to as contingency management or crisis management. For more on this subject, see Borodzicz (2005).
- 3.
This political commitment does not imply that a Member State has to take action on the political level in case of an alert. The political obligation merely refers to the fact that there has been an agreement on the political level that Member States should take action on whichever level is most suitable for the event in question. Most events reported through the rapid alert systems do not demand action on the political level and are handled by, for example, sector specific government agencies. The legal obligation in its turn entitles the Commission to bring a Member State before the European Court of Justice if that Member State has neglected to report a potential crisis. The Commission has so far not taken such measures which could signify that the threat of this happening is sufficient to make the Member States follow the reporting obligation. Whether this is the case or whether most Member States simply find it in their interests to quickly inform their EU counter-parts is, however, somewhat difficult to determine. Nevertheless, the legal obligation can be seen as a token for the importance that the Union attaches to the existence of rapid alert systems.
- 4.
- 5.
Kjellén (2007).
- 6.
The Security Office, also called the Duty Office, is embedded in DG Personnel and Administration, as a part of its Security Directorate. The physical security of Commission staff and buildings lie within the scope of the Security Directorate's work tasks. Since the Security Office is manned around the clock, it has been chosen as the operative point of contact for many of the Rapid Alert Systems.
- 7.
- 8.
Council Decision 87/600/Euratom.
- 9.
Council Directive 89/618/Euratom.
- 10.
Interview at DG Energy and Transport, Radiation Protection Unit (May 2007, October 2008).
- 11.
Kjellén (2007).
- 12.
The European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange (ECURIE), at the Commission website (2009).
- 13.
- 14.
Kjellén (2007).
- 15.
Regulated in the IAEA convention EMERCON.
- 16.
The Health Security Committee is an informal cooperative body under the Member States' Ministers for Health and the EU Commissioner for Health, created by a Council Decision (2001). The committee consists of Member States officials, observers from ECDC, EMEA and WHO as well as candidate countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Its mandate was recently prolonged until 2010 and the committee is expected to be institutionalised.
- 17.
Programme of Cooperation on Preparedness and Response to Biological and Chemical Agent Attacks (2001).
- 18.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Health Threats Unit (July 2007, October 2008).
- 19.
Kjellén (2007).
- 20.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Health Threats Unit (July 2007, October 2008).
- 21.
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear.
- 22.
Kjellén (2007).
- 23.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Health Threats Unit (July 2007, October 2008).
- 24.
- 25.
Kjellén (2007).
- 26.
Commission Decision 2009/363/EC.
- 27.
This agreement was incorporated in the operative procedures through Commission Decision 2008/351/EC.
- 28.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Health Threats Unit (July 2007, October 2008).
- 29.
Kjellén (2007).
- 30.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Health Threats Unit (July 2007, October 2008).
- 31.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Animal health and standing committees (October 2008).
- 32.
Council Directive 82/894/EEC.
- 33.
Commission Decision 2004/216/EC and Commission Decision 2005/176/EC.
- 34.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Animal health and standing committees (October 2008).
- 35.
Commission Decision 2008/650/EC.
- 36.
Kjellén (2007).
- 37.
OIE is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide, bringing together 172 Member Countries and Territories.
- 38.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Animal health and standing committees (October 2008).
- 39.
Council Directive 2000/29/EC.
- 40.
Kjellén (2007).
- 41.
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
- 42.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, RASFF (October 2008).
- 43.
Kjellén (2007).
- 44.
- 45.
Kjellén (2007).
- 46.
EEA entails the EU Member States, The European Community and Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein.
- 47.
- 48.
Kjellén (2007).
- 49.
- 50.
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) Annual Report 2007.
- 51.
Interview at DG Health and Consumers, Product and Service Safety (October 2008).
- 52.
Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council is the legal basis of RAPEX. Commission Decision 2004/418/EC draws up the guidelines for the administration of RAPEX and serves as the basis for each Member State's risk appraisal.
- 53.
- 54.
Kjellén (2007).
- 55.
- 56.
Kjellén (2007).
- 57.
Keeping European Consumers Safe (2007) Annual Report on the operation of the Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Consumer Products RAPEX.
- 58.
Kjellén (2007).
- 59.
Lindström (2008).
- 60.
Interview at the Swedish Ministry of Defence (December 2008).
- 61.
ARGUS was established through Commission Decision 2006/25/EC, Euratom.
- 62.
Interview at the Commission Secretariat-General, Crisis Management Unit (October 2008).
- 63.
Kjellén (2007).
- 64.
Interview at the Commission Secretariat-General, Crisis Management Unit (October 2008).
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Kjellén, S.Z., Olsson, S. (2009). Rapid Alerts for Crises at the EU Level. In: Olsson, S. (eds) Crisis Management in the European Union. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00697-5_4
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