On 2nd October 2019, Janez LENARČIČ, from Slovenia, Commissioner-designate for Crisis Management, is heard by the Committee on Development (DEVE) in association with the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test his general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio. On this occasion, Janez LENARČIČ has the opportunity to make an opening statement. The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brussels

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Committee on Development

hearing

hearing of Commissioners

LENARČIČ, Janez (SI, EC)

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Janez LENARČIČ 2019 (T)

Hearing of Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: opening statement by Janez LENARČIČ

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Honourable members I have been handed a double honour. Firstly to be nominated as Slovenia's candidate to join the next college of commissioners and secondly subject to your agreement to take on the responsibility of humanitarian aid and civil protection under the banner of crisis management.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management, As a Slovenian I can most strongly relate to the fact that what is today the directorate general for European civil protection and humanitarian aid operations was created in 1992 also as a response to the wars on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. That same year the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees set up a field office in Slovenia.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Just before graduating from law school I joined them to help take care of refugees fleeing to or through Slovenia. This gave me an opportunity for my first modest contribution to humanitarian work. More than a quarter of a century on I am before you as a commissioner designate.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: If You entrusted with this task I can assure you I will dedicate all my energies and almost three decades of experience in international and European fora to help alleviate suffering and provide relief to people affected by crisis thereby confirming European solidarity a value. I strongly believe in. Honourable members, the EU is widely recognized as a responsible global leader in humanitarian aid and we should take pride in that.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: However in order to strengthen its global role the EU must upgrade its capacities to be able to help more people in need swiftly and efficiently. Currently the EU reaches out to over 100 million people people in need each year both inside and outside the union. This directly affects the lives of men women and children without discrimination on the basis of their nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinions.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: It is reassuring to note that some 90 percent of Europeans support U.S. action in both Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. I also know these endeavours have traditionally enjoyed strong support in this Parliament. I can assure you that I have every intention to work with you in partnership to keep you informed and to listen to your views and concerns.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Honourable members as much as my nomination means an extraordinary opportunity to serve the European Union. I am also acutely aware of the plethora of challenges that portfolio of crisis management entails. Today ever more people around the world need humanitarian assistance. Almost 71 million people are forcibly displaced and not only because of conflicts.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Each year some 70000 people die. And further 70 million people are injured, left homeless or in need in emergency assistance. As a result of natural disasters next to casualties the costs are high and they continue to grow. Since 2010 natural disasters have caused over 13 billion euro of damage each year. In Europe alone what is worse.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: The trends we face are worrying. Humanitarian crisis last longer and are more complex than ever before. Natural and man made disasters occur with increasing frequency. More and more people are affected including in Europe. By 2020 50 there would be. There may be over 140 million internally displaced people in sub-Saharan Africa South Asia and Latin America. How many of them will pick up what has been left to them and migrate to other places including to Europe in search of a better life.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: The resources globally available for crisis management do not match today's needs let alone future projections. The funding gap is widening. Then there is climate change rapidly transforming the risk landscape adding more strain to an already strained system. In report after report we learned more about climate change and its impacts.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management, Rising sea levels increasingly frequent and intense storms longer periods of drought more devastating floods. Life support ecosystems are under duress. But do we need another report to convince us of the gravity of climate change. The young generation obviously does not. They know for a fact that our house is on fire.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: To make matters worse parts of the world hit both hit hardest by the effects of climate change are also among the most fragile and least resilient. Countries of the Sahel and the Horn of Africa to cite just a couple. This is the stark reality that I will face as commissioner for crisis management. I realize that the picture I painted looks bleak but I am not resigned.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: If anything I look at the challenges I have just outlined also as opportunities. Opportunities to do things better and differently to build on what works and to fix what does not. I also realize that in many ways I can be grateful for determination and achievements of my predecessors of highly motivated staff of DG ECHO international partners and most importantly individual relief workers due to their tireless contributions things by and large work.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: In addition the EU is highly respected for its strict adherence to basic humanitarian principles of humanity neutrality impartiality and independence. I intend to firmly defend these principles also in the future. Turning now to my priorities I have said if confirmed firstly as commissioner for crisis management as well as the European emergency response coordinator.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: My first goal will be to support people in need as rapidly and efficiently as possible in full respect for humanitarian principles. In this regard I will maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of our crisis response so as to reach the maximum people in need. This can only happen if we are able to work together better.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: In line with the mandate given I intend to strengthen the EU's emergency response coordination centre so that it can respond swiftly and effectively to a broad range of crises. Also highly important, if confirmed, I will strongly focus on advocating globally in support of international humanitarian law. In my contacts with state and non-state actors. I will firmly urge the preservation of humanitarian space.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: It is unacceptable that humanitarian actors are increasingly being targeted and that access to people in need regularly blocked. Secondly in line with the proposed mandate I intend to intensify U.S. efforts to prevent disasters from occurring in the first place while also strengthening our capacity to adapt to changing environment. In light of climate change projections protracted conflicts and increasing instability around the world we unite the European Union and its Member States must work in an integrated manner.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Our failure to do so risks jeopardizing the attainment of sustainable development goals which is a collective responsibility. In this respect I welcome the working approach and vision envisaged by the president elect whereby each commissioner will need to ensure the delivery of the sustainable development goals within their respective policy area.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: On the side of prevention I intend to work closely with the high representative vice president and other members of the college responsible for areas such as climate change environment and development. The aim is to ensure that disaster risk reduction becomes an integral part of our efforts to enhance the resilience of our societies and ecosystems. Starting with the European Green Deal honourable members we had an aid and disaster response must be seen as instruments of last resort.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: They should step in when all else has failed. Avoiding such failure must remain our first objective. When we have to mobilise humanitarian aid our goal should be to depend on it for as short time as possible. In other words we need to move people out of the emergency ward as fast as possible into recovery, so that they can benefit from more long term sustainable solutions.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Here, security and development policies play a particularly crucial role in fragile countries especially those with protracted crisis. We need to work towards a humanitarian development peace nexus. We must stick local specificities into account delivered the best possible assistance to those in need while paying particular attention to the most vulnerable groups like women and children.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: This will require new partnerships as well as innovative tools here. In particular I want to do more to empower local actors in delivering aid on the ground. They know the context best they can work more efficiently and they know what works. At the same time we all know that despite efforts not everything can be prevented.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: Recent events including the deadly forest fires in Portugal have shown that we must get better at preventing disasters and we must be better prepared to respond when prevention fails. This is why I intend to vigorously pursue a strengthened implementation of risk. EU the enhanced union civil protection mechanism in close collaboration with the member states.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: We need reinforced capacities to deal with forest fires acute medical emergencies, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear disasters. And here I also count on the support of the European Parliament to help make this reality. My third priority will be to enhance the visibility of iOS crisis management.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: I want to build on the strong support European Union's humanitarian aid already enjoys among European citizens and I want to reassure them that every single area spent in this area is well spent. Our most important audience should be EU citizens and beneficiaries. I will therefore place high priority on communication to them. Honourable members.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: I will not hide the fact that these priorities and objectives come at a cost but rather than speaking of cost I would prefer to speak of investment . In this case investment in our common future. For this I call on your support in securing the proposed 30 percent increase of the humanitarian aid budget as part of the next multi-annual financial framework.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: This is essential for delivering our ambitious agenda over the next five years and beyond. I would also value your continued support to ensure efficient and effective budgetary spending. For my part I will guarantee that funding is disbursed to those in need transparently and on the grounds of sound financial management. In carrying out my responsibility, I will stand ready to work closely with both committees present here.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, Commissioner-designate, Crisis Management: If I succeed in winning your trust. I would want us to look back in five years time. And see that we have made a difference that we have helped to alleviate the suffering of many that we have contributed to more resilient communities and individuals. A healthier and more resilient natural environment, and to greater trust of Europeans in their future. Thank you. Applause.