European, national and regional authorities, international organisations and civil protection experts gathered in Brussels for a joint Lazio Region and EPLO workshop exploring how stronger cooperation and multi-level governance can enhance disaster preparedness, resilience and emergency response across Europe.
On 30 September 2026, the European Public Law Organization (EPLO) and Lazio Region co-organised the workshop“Strengthening Civil Protection in Europe: Bridging EU Policy and Regional Action” at the Lazio Region EU Liaison Office in Brussels.
The workshop brought together representatives of EU institutions, national and regional authorities, international organisations and civil protection experts to examine how Europe can strengthen its capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Discussions focused particularly on the EU civil protection framework, regional experiences and good practices, disaster risk management, preparedness, and stronger coordination between European, national and regional levels of governance.
Bringing European and regional perspectives together
The opening session featured institutional greetings from Francesco Rocca, President of Lazio Region, via video message; Pasquale Ciacciarelli, Minister for Civil Protection of Lazio Region; and Antonello Aurigemma, President of the Regional Council of Lazio and Member of the European Committee of the Regions.
Opening remarks were delivered by Ambassador Dionysios Kalamvrezos, Director of EPLO’s Brussels Office, alongside Paolo Giuntarelli and Massimo La Pietra of Lazio Region. Ambassador Kalamvrezos also moderated the first panel, dedicated to the EU Civil Protection Framework and its current state of play.
The panel brought together Francesco Pontiroli Gobbi of the European Commission’s DG ECHO, Adam Banaszak of the European Committee of the Regions and Giovanni De Siervo of the Italian Civil Protection Department. Their contributions addressed the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and cooperation between European and national institutions.
Regional experience and practical solutions
A second panel, moderated by Roberta Pascolini, Coordinator of the Lazio Region Brussels Office, shifted the focus to the challenges faced by regions and lessons emerging from practical experience across Europe.
Participants included Zuzana Stanton-Geddes, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank; George Alexakis of Crete Region and Vice-President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR); Antonio Lanza of Apulia Region; Ariel Carpanini of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region; Bernhard Heinreichsberger of Lower Austria; Giuliano Tallone of Lazio Region; and Davide Strangis, Secretary General of CPMR. The discussion drew together experiences from Greece, Italy, France and Austria, providing a comparative regional perspective on preparedness, disaster risk management and civil protection.
From regional experience to stronger European cooperation
The programme continued with an afternoon roundtable moderated by Jorge Núñez Ferrer of CPMR, bringing regional experience into dialogue with European and national civil protection structures. Participants included Francesco Pontiroli Gobbi of DG ECHO; Leonardo Sartori of NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre; Giovanni De Siervo of the Italian Civil Protection Department; Raquel Aguado Muñoz of Generalitat Valenciana; and Pasquale Ciacciarelli of Lazio Region. Antonello Aurigemma delivered the concluding remarks.
Throughout the workshop, a central theme was the need to connect European policy and coordination mechanisms with the practical experience and responsibilities of regions, particularly in preparedness, resilience and emergency response. The programme was specifically designed to exchange regional good practices and examine how multi-level governance can strengthen cooperation and coordination across Europe.
Co-organised by Lazio Region and EPLO, the workshop provided a forum for sharing practical experience and strengthening dialogue among the institutions and authorities involved in civil protection at European, national and regional levels
