Bosnia-Herzegovina joins EU disaster solidarity network

BRUSSELS

Bosnia-Herzegovina joined on Tuesday the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, a solidarity network providing support in case of natural disasters.

“Today we are taking an important step towards stronger European crisis response,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said, announcing Bosnia-Herzegovina’s full membership in the bloc’s solidarity network.

Lenarcic traveled to Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, for an official signing ceremony with Bosnian Security Minister Selmo Cikotic.

He asserted that the agreement recognizes “the significant progress Bosnia-Herzegovina has made over the years in building a resilient civil protection system.”

Lenarcic also stressed that cooperation is important in a “time when natural hazards are on the rise in Europe,” calling this year’s summer “one of the toughest.”

The country, which has already benefitted from the mechanism, can now actively dispatch assistance, the European Commission said in a statement.

All the 27 EU member states, as well as Türkiye, Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro participate in the cooperation to foster emergency preparedness and rescue capacity.