Annex III to BS/JM/WGCEA&NLOEA/R(2026)1
ACTION PLAN
OF THE BSEC WORKING GROUP
ON COOPERATION IN EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
1 January 2026 – 31 December 2027
Country-Coordinator: Romania
I. GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The present Action Plan in the field of Cooperation on Emergency Assistance sets the main guidelines for enhancing mutually beneficial co-operation in the respective field between the BSEC Member States for the period 2026-2027.
In its work the Working Group will be guided by the provisions of Goal 17 of the updated BSEC Economic Agenda, Resolutions, Decisions and Recommendations of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, decisions of the Ministers in charge for Emergency Assistance of the BSEC Member States.
Proper attention will be given to the improvement of the modalities of work of the BSEC Network of Liaison Officers and other instruments of cooperation provided in the provisions of the Agreement among the Governments of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Participating States on Collaboration in Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters and the Additional Protocol to it.
During the period 2026 - 2027, the Working Group will be focus on the following main priorities:
1. Strengthening cooperation in implementing the Agreement among the Governments of the BSEC Member States on Collaboration in Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters and its Additional Protocol;
2. Enhancing coordination among the BSEC Member States in preventing and eliminating the consequences of natural and man-made disasters, through exchange of expertise, best practices and lessons learned in the area of providing international assistance, with a focus on catastrophic earthquakes and extended forest fires, in light of the climate change;
3. Promoting organization of regional trainings, seminars and scientific conferences aimed at the achievement of better application of joint efforts, in case of emergency and increase of awareness about the best practices used in emergency situations with a special attention to the Liaison Officers of the relevant BSEC Network.
II. LIST OF ACTIVITES AND JOINT PROJECTS
1. MEETINGS OF THE WORKING GROUP:
- 1st Meeting: 2026, 11th of May 2026, online (presentation of the draft Action Plan);
- 2nd Meeting: 2026, beginning of November - TBC (webinar);
- 3rd Meeting: 2027, TBC (discussions on the ongoing projects and the evaluation of the activities of the Country-Coordinatorship of Romania).
2. MEETINGS OF THE SUBORDINATED BODIES, I.E. BSEC NETWORK OF LIAISON OFFICERS ON EMERGENCY SITUATIONS:
- Once a year, before or back to back to the Meeting of the BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Situation.
3. RELEVANT EVENTS:
Meetings at the experts level on specific items, according to the provisions of the BSEC Agreement on Cooperation in Emergency Situation and its Additional Protocol.
a. Webinar: Exchange of Experience on Large-Scale Wildfire Management
The BSEC region has experienced unprecedented wildfire cases in recent years. Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Türkiye were affected by large-scale fires requiring international assistance. Climate projections indicate these events will continue to intensify. Sharing operational experience and identifying common approaches to prevention and response is a priority for the Working Group.
The event will take the form of an online webinar of approximately half a day, proposed for the quarter of 2026 to share lessons/experiences after the wildifre season. It is envisaged that Romania will organise the event, with Greece and Türkiye as primary partners. The main topics to be addressed are:
– Country presentations on significant wildfire events emerged in 2021–2026: scale, response and international coordination, key challenges encountered;
– Cross-border coordination experience: what mechanisms were used and which proved effective;
– Availability of aerial firefighting resources in the BSEC region and mutual aid practices currently in place;
– Climate-change implications for wildfire risk: trends and projections relevant to BSEC Member States;
– Recommendations for the Working Group on practical cooperation improvements.
The BSEC Member States are invited to make additional proposals on the events in their respective countries.
4. JOINT PROJECTS:
Strengthening the BSEC Network of Liaison Officers on Emergency Assistance
Enhancing and strengthening the operational effectiveness of the BSEC Network of Liaison Officers as the primary instrument for information exchange and emergency response coordination among BSEC Member States.
Key activities under this project are:
– Update and validation of the Liaison Officer Directory: Romania will send a standardized form to each Member State requesting updated contact details, including out-of-hours emergency contacts. All states are expected to return completed forms within 60 days. Romania will compile and distribute the validated directory through the BSEC PERMIS. This process will be on annual basis throughout the mandate;
– Annual communication test: once per year. Romania will conduct a simple communication check with all Liaison Officers — a test notification requiring acknowledgement within 24 hours — to verify that contact details are active and that Officers are reachable through the established channels.
The BSEC Member States are invited to make additional proposals.
5. COOPERATION WITH OTHER BSEC BODIES:
The Working Group of Cooperation on Emergency Assistance will cooperate with other BSEC Working Groups on relevant issues.
6. COOPERATION WITH THE BSEC OBSERVERS AND PARTNERS
The Working Group will cooperate with the BSEC Observer countries and Sectorial Dialogue Partners for the organization of joint events.
7. COOPERATION WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
The Working Group on Cooperation on Emergency will collaborate with international organizations, such as specialized UN agencies, European Commission, Black Sea Commission and other international organizations and institutions.
8. RESPONSIBLE INSTITUTION
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania
Contact persons:
Mr. CĂTĂLIN IVAN - Head of the EU-NATO Policies and Civil Protection Strategic Partnerships Unit - Directorate General for Civil Protection, Department for Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs, email: catalin.ivan@mai.gov.ro, telephone number: + 40 72 80 00 920.
Ms. RALUCA GEORGIANA ERDINÇ, Senior Expert, International Relations Unit, General Directorate for European Affairs Schengen and International Relations, Ministry of Internal Affairs
email: raluca.erdinc@mai.gov.ro telephone number:+40 745 350 360