EDUCATION AND TRAINING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE »COMMUNITY CIVIL PROTECTION MECHANISM«

Abstract

In 2004, when Slovenia became a member of the European Union, we became actively involved in the education and training programme provided within the framework of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism to facilitate reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance interventions (Community Civil Protection Mechanism). Slovenian representatives actively participate within the workshops, seminars and courses, which are organized mainly for members of civil protection or experts from that field, who provide civil protection assistance within their national civil protection intervention teams or to a European or other country that has been stricken by a natural or man-made disaster. In addition to the aforementioned forms of education and training, European Community Civil Protection Mechanism exercises have been carried out each year, in which the countries participating in the Community Civil Protection Mechanism have taken part. Opportunity has been provided for a project of exchange of experts from the civil protection field among the Community Civil Protection Mechanism countries, whereby experts can exchange knowledge and experience. Education and training within the Community Civil Protection Mechanism is of vital importance for Slovenian representatives, because it enables common understanding of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism and its civil protection interventions in the event of natural or man-made disasters inside or outside the European Union. This kind of training facilitates the expertise and knowledge required for real civil protection interventions.