More EU-Taiwan cooperation needed on disaster preparedness: EU envoy

The European Union’s top envoy to Taiwan on Monday called for greater bilateral cooperation to boost civil society preparedness for natural and man-made disasters, saying such efforts were crucial for both the EU and Taiwan to enhance resilience.

Lutz Gullner, head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taiwan, said at an EETO-funded workshop in Taipei that the EU believes "resilience and preparedness" are crucial for any society facing natural and man-made disasters, particularly in times of geopolitical uncertainty.

Over the past several years, Europe has been strengthening its civil protection mechanisms, particularly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said.

Lutz Gullner ,third right, head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taiwan, poses with officials during an EETO-funded workshop in Taipei on Monday.

Photo: CNA

"Taiwan obviously is one of the reference points for anything related to natural disasters already for a long time, and we envy many of your systems," he said.

The EU, meanwhile, has more experience dealing with disasters such as wildfires and civil protection mechanisms, he said.

"It’s really about learning together, developing together and, most importantly, not just between governments but between civil society, people and communities, to build a real culture of resilience," he said.

"Taiwan needs partners. The European Union needs partners," he said, adding that such cooperation matters enormously and "can strengthen resilience in Taiwan and in Europe."

Gullner made the remarks during the opening ceremony of a workshop organized by the Taipei-based Forward Alliance, a Taiwanese national security and civil defense think tank.

The workshop was joined by representatives from Samaritan International, a European network of nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on social and emergency services.

Paul Wardenga of Samaritan International said at the opening ceremony that by bringing together Taiwanese NGO volunteers and their European counterparts, the seminar will enable the two sides to learn from each other about volunteer management and how to train volunteers for civil protection purposes.