MATEJ HRUSKA
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for the EU to set up a joint rapid reaction force to handle natural disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires and floods.
[euobserver.com] In a letter to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso published on Sunday (15 August), Mr Sarkozy addressed the issue of the EU’s ability to react under its own name in connection to the recent floods in Pakistan.
„It seems essential, for obvious political and humanitarian reasons, that Europe shows its solidarity with the Pakistani people visibly. The interest of Europe is also to ensure the development and stability of this country,“ he wrote.
Following the earthquake in Haiti and wildfires in Russia, says the letter, the EU „must take the necessary measures and build a real EU reaction force … that draws on the resources of the member states.“ (more on euobserver.com)
