UfM launches Civil Protection Working Groups to strengthen regional preparedness and emergency response
Paphos, Cyprus, 16 September 2026. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has officially launched the Preparedness and Response Working Groups of its Regional Platform on Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Management, marking a new step in the implementation of the UfM Regional Action Plan on Civil Protection.
The Working Groups provide Member States with permanent structures to jointly identify priorities and translate them into concrete cooperation, technical activities and stronger coordination before and during emergencies.
The launch took place in Paphos during the first fully fledged activity of the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station (CRAFS), a regional initiative designed to strengthen aerial firefighting preparedness and coordination in the Mediterranean.
Under the co-presidency of the European Commission and the Kingdom of Jordan, the UfM Regional Platform is structured around three thematic Working Groups, each co-led by two Member States:
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Prevention: France and Algeria
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Preparedness: Palestine and Syria
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Response: Cyprus and Lebanon
The Paphos meeting formally inaugurated the Preparedness and Response Working Groups, bringing together their co-leads alongside civil protection authorities and operational partners from across the region. Representatives from Jordan, Morocco, Israel, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain also participated, together with the UfM, DG ECHO and relevant civil society organisations.
Participants discussed emergency response protocols, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Host Nation Support and international coordination frameworks, while sharing national needs, capabilities and priorities. The exchanges helped identify areas where the Working Groups can strengthen preparedness, interoperability and regional coordination.
“Wildfires are not only a response issue. We need to work further upstream, from risk mapping and early warning to the protection of exposed areas and critical infrastructure. At the same time, we need to be ready to operate together, with compatible procedures, trained teams, shared information and effective Host Nation Support,” said Valentin Forand, UfM Expert on Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Management.
“The UfM Platform is structured around prevention, preparedness and response so countries can set priorities together and translate them into concrete activities and stronger interoperability. CRAFS is a tangible example of this approach in aerial firefighting.”
The Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station has developed through regional dialogue under the PPRD Med project, the UfM Regional Action Plan on Civil Protection and the EU Pact for the Mediterranean. Following workshops in Barcelona in November 2025 and Paphos in May 2026, the September meeting marked an important step in its development as a regional hub for aerial firefighting preparedness and coordination.
