Civil Protection Network

About CPN

The CBSS Civil Protection Network (CPN) was established in 2002. It gathers Directors General for Civil Protection and Senior Experts from all CBSS Member States to discuss and agree on the most important issues in civil protection which should be tackled together, build capacity, exchange knowledge and expertise, and implement transnational projects with macroregional impact. Regular informal high-level meetings by the Directors General are essential to give directions and momentum to the expert work.

CPN is a unique platform for civil protection professionals in the Baltic Sea Region to work together – it is also the only place where experts from EU countries meet their peers from Iceland and Norway.

The overall strategic priority of the CPN is building a common societal security culture in the BSR, shared attitudes towards societal security threats and an understanding of prevention, preparedness, and response as well as recovery and learning processes in connection with disasters. 

The importance of this cooperation has been reinforced by the deteriorating security situation in the region and the increasing impact of climate change, affecting the life and health of the population the environment and the economy. 

Forest fires, floods and crime spread across borders. But national legislation and strategies to deal with such issues can differ greatly. Organised cross-border actions can save lives and money. 

Strategic priorities

Strategic Priorities for the CPN work are set in the Joint Position on Enhancing Cooperation in Civil Protection Area. The priorities are:

1. Combining national efforts in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction with a particular focus on managing increasing risks from climate change.
2. Enhancing resilience of the BSR to disasters by strengthening systemic multi-hazard approach and fostering existing, emerging, and future risk awareness, prevention, preparedness, and response.
3. Increasing cross-sectorial cooperation and societal partnerships.
4. Building capacity of Member States in the civil security area.
5. Supporting mutually beneficial interaction between research and practitioners.

Structure

The CPN holds annual meetings of Directors General and Senior Experts and is supported by the CBSS Secretariat in Stockholm. The chair of the CPN rotates among the Member States on an annual basis following the CBSS Presidency (from July 1 to June 30).

Members

The CPN is composed of Senior Experts in civil protection from the CBSS Member States. The current members of the CPN are:

• Denmark: Danish Resilience Agency
• Estonia: Estonian Rescue Services Agency
• Finland: Ministry of the Interior
• Germany: Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance 
• Germany, Hamburg: Hamburg Fire and Rescue Service 
• Iceland: National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, Civil Protection Unit
• Latvia: State Fire and Rescue Service 
• Lithuania: Fire and Rescue Department under the Ministry of the Interior 
• Norway: Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) 
• Poland: National Headquarters of the State Fire Service 
• Sweden: Swedish Civil Defense and Resilience Agency

Contacts

• Vineta Polatside, Senior Adviser for Safe and Secure Region Priority, Phone: +46 70 232 04 94, Email: [email protected]
• Andriy Martynenko, Adviser for Safe and Secure Region Priority, Phone: +46 70 388 36 50, Email: [email protected]
• Franziska Seufert, Project Coordinator for Safe and Secure Region Priority, Phone: +46 73 809 84 44, Email: [email protected]