Brussels is working on a legal proposal that requires EU member states to specify their responsibilities regarding the management of climate crises. This action comes in response to the increasing number and severity of climate crises in various countries, including Belgium and Spain.
Challenges of Unclear Responsibilities
Recent crises such as the widespread wildfires in Belgium and deadly floods in Spain highlight a serious problem in crisis management: the lack of clear responsibility for institutions. For example, the recent wildfire in the Natura 2000 area of Fagnes in Belgium, which caused significant damage, occurred due to the absence of preventive measures and clear responsibility from the relevant authorities.
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In Belgium, the federal government is responsible for coordinating the country's preparation for climate changes, but land management is considered a regional competency. This issue has led to confusion and lack of coordination among various institutions, which has become evident in recent crises.
Brussels' Actions to Address Crises
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has announced that a new framework to strengthen resilience against climate change will be presented next month. This framework will include risk assessments and the determination of responsibilities in managing these risks. Commission officials have stated that clarifying institutional responsibilities in preventing, managing, and anticipating the consequences of climate change is a key element of this new framework.
Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, emphasized the need to clarify responsibilities and stated that ambiguity in this area could lead to more crises and chaotic responses from governments. He also noted that Brussels does not intend to directly manage crises but aims to create a transparent and efficient structure.
If responsibilities are not clearly defined, governments can only react to crises and miss out on effective prevention. This is particularly concerning in a context where crises are rapidly increasing.
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