Council of Europe – EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has set up the Open Partial Agreement in 1987. This intergovernmental Agreement is a platform for cooperation in the field of major natural and technological disasters between Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean area and Western Europe concerning knowledge about prevention, risk management, post-crisis analysis and rehabilitation. http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Disasters

European Commission/Commission Européenne
The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union. The President and Members of the Commission are appointed by the Member States after they have been approved by the European Parliament.The Commission is the driving force in the Union's institutional system: It has the right to initiate draft legislation and therefore presents legislative proposals to Parliament and the Council. As the Union's executive body, it is responsible for implementing the European legislation (directives, regulations, decisions), budget and programmes adopted by Parliament and the Council. It acts as guardian of the Treaties and, together with the Court of Justice, ensures that Community law is properly applied. It represents the Union on the international stage and negotiates international agreements, chiefly in the field of trade and cooperation. http://europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm

European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)
The European Union’s mandate to ECHO is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union. The aid is intended to go directly to those in distress, irrespective of race, religion or political convictions. http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/en/index_en.htm

European Environment Agency (EEA), Copenhagen, Denmark
The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy making agents and the public. http://www.eea.eu.int

European Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC)
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Directorate-General is an integral part of the European Commission. It provides independent scientific and technical advice to the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and EU Member States in support of European Union (EU) policies. Its main aim is to help to create a safer, cleaner, healthier and more competitive Europe. Its seven scientific institutes carry out research of direct concern to EU citizens. It provides technical know-how both directly and through coordinating and contributing to numerous broader networks linking industry, universities and national institutes. The JRC is playing an important role in helping establish the European Research Area (ERA). http://www.jrc.org

European Laboratory for Structural Assessment – Earthquake Engineering (ELSA), Ispra, Italy
The construction of bridges, viaducts, buildings or tunnels, which can withstand earthquakes, involves using particularly sophisticated simulation laboratories. The most prestigious of these is ELSA, which is a technological flagship for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/success/en/env/0071e.html

European Research Area (ERA)
On 18, January 2000 the European Commission adopted the platform “Towards a European Research Area” which is meant to contribute to the creation of better overall framework conditions for research in Europe. ERA is regrouping all Community supports for the better coordination of research activities and the convergence of research and innovation policies, at national and EU levels. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/era/index_en.html

European Space Agency (ESA)
The European Space Agency is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the people of Europe. ESA has 15 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.html

European Union (EU)
The European Union was set through the process of European integration was launched on 9 May 1950 when France officially proposed to create “the first concrete foundation of a European federation.” Six countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) joined from the very beginning. Today, after four waves of accessions (1973: Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom; 1981: Greece; 1986: Spain and Portugal; 1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden). The EU has 15 Member States and is preparing for the accession of other eastern and southern European countries. Its main agencies are: European Parliament, Council of the Union, European Commission, Court of Justice, Court of Auditors, European Central Bank, European Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Investment Bank, European Ombudsman. http://www.europa.eu.int

European Centre for Disaster Medicine/ Centre européen pour la Médecine des catastrophes (CEMEC), San Marino It promotes the prevention and mitigation of the effects of natural and technological disasters. http://www.diesis.com/cemec

European University Centre for Cultural Heritage/Centre Universitaire Européen pour les Biens Culturels (CUEBC), Ravello, Italy.
CUEBC is an experimental laboratory that conducts scientific research and specialist matters. It is part of the European University for Cultural Heritage. http://www.cuebc.amalficoast.it

European Natural Disasters Training Centre/Centre Européen de Formation sur les Risques Naturels (AFEM), Ankara, Turkey.
AFEM's main goal is to reduce the destructive effects of hazards through research, training and education at all levels, from policy makers to field workers associated with disaster preparedness and response. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/afem50.htm

European Centre for Prevention and Forecasting of Earthquakes/Centre Européen pour la Prévention et la Prévision des Tremblements de Terre (ECPFE), Athens, Greece.
ECPFE is involved in all aspects of prevention as well as in the development of practical ways of managing earthquakes. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecpfe50.htm

European Centre on Geomorphological Hazards/Centre Européen sur les Risques Geomorphologiques (CERG), Strasbourg, France
CERG is concerned with studying the major hazards associated with earthquakes and landslides. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/cerg50.htm

Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre/Centre Sismologique Euro-Méditerranéen (CSEM), Bruyères-le-Châtel, France
The activity of CSEM members is devoted to the promotion of seismological research.
http://www.emsc-csem.org
http://www.csem.bruyeres.cea.fr

European Centre for Geodynamis and Seismology/Centre Européen de Géodynamique et de Sismologie (ECGS), Walferdange, Luxemburg
The Centre acts as a link between scientific research and its application to the prevention and interpretation of hazards. http://www.ecgs.lu

European Centre on Training and Information of Local and Regional Authorities and Population on the Field of Natural and Technological Disasters /Centre Européen de Formation des Autorités Locales et Régionales dans le domaine des Catastrophes Naturelles et Technologiques (ECMHT), Baku, Azerbaïjan.
It provides training and information of local and regional authorities in the field of major hazards. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecmht50.htm

Euro Mediterranean Centre on Evaluation and Prevention of Seismic Risk/Centre Européen sur l’Evaluation et la Prévention du Risque Sismique (CEPRIS), Rabat, Morocco.
It works to develop a unified strategy and common framework for coordinating regional seismo-tectonic zoning and assessment of seismic hazards and risks in the Mediterranean region. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/cepris50.htm

European Centre for School Training in Risk Prevention/Centre Européen sur la Formation Scolaire à la Prévention des Risques (CSLT), Sofia, Bulgaria
The Centre develops and promotes general and partial educational policies, training concepts and teaching methods in the field of risk prevention training in schools. http://www.bg400.bg/cslt

Euro-mediterranean Centre for Research on Arid Zones/Centre Euro-Mediterranééen sur les Zones Arides (CRSTRA), Algiers, Algeria
The centre conducts scientific and technical research programmes on arid zones and zones threatened with desertification and drought. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/crstra50.htm

European Centre of Technogenic Safety/Centre Européen de Sécurité Technologique (TESEC), Kiev, Ukraine
TESEC is a scientific research and educational organization. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/tesec50.htm

European Centre for Vulnerability of Industrial and Lifeline Systems/Centre Européen sur la Vulnérabilité des Réseaux et Systèmes Industriels (ECILS), Skopje (Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia)
It promotes programmes for theoretical and applied research of urban vulnerability. http://www.iziis.ukim.edu.mk

European Centre on Urban Risks/Centre Européen sur les Risques Urbains (CERU), Lisbon, Portugal
Its principal functions are to provide a framework for coordinating relief and natural and technological hazard management and for devising a common strategy to combat urban hazards. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ceru50.htm

European Centre on Floods/Centre Européen sur les Inondations (AECF), Kishinev, Moldova
It concentrates on proposals to prevent the risk of flooding. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/aecf50.htm

Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Insular Coastal Dynamics/Centre Européen de la Dynamique Côtière Insulaire (IcoD), Valletta, Malta
ICoD’s main brief is to work in three main areas of education, applied research and information activities related to coastal dynamics. http://www.icod.org.mt/IcoD/ICoD main.htm

Scientific Centre of Monaco, European Oceanological Observatory/Centre scientifique de Monaco, Observatoire Océanologique Européen (OOE), Monaco
It conducts research with the objective of evaluating major ecological risks and restoring degraded habitats.
http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ooe50.htm

European Centre of New Technologies for the Management of Major Natural and Technological Hazards/Centre Européen des Nouvelles Technologies pour la Gestion des Risques Naturels et Technologiques Majeurs (ECNTRM), Moscow, Federation of Russia
One of its primary objectives is the use of space technologies for the forecasting, prevention and relief in major natural and technological disasters. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecntrm50.htm

European Centre for Research into Techniques for Informing Populations in Emergency Situations/Centre Européen de Recherche sur les Techniques d’Information de la Population dans les Situations d’Urgences/Centro Europeo de Investigacion de técnicas de information a la poblacion en Situaciones de Emergencia (CEISE), Madrid, Spain
Its work concerns methods of informing the public in ermergency situations. http://www.proteccioncivil.org

European Inter-regional Centre for Training Rescue Workers /Centre Européen de Formation Inter-Régionale pour les Sauveteurs (ECTR), Yerevan, Armenia
It provides training of rescue workers and related instructors for humanitarian assistance. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ectr50.htm

European Centre on Geodynamical Hazards of High Dams/Centre Européen sur les Risques Géodynamiques liés aux Grands Barrages (GHHD), Tbilissi, Georgia
The Centre is created to develop multinational, multidisciplinary approaches to the problems of geodynamic hazards, generated by high dams. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ghhd50.htm

European Advisory Evaluation Committee for Earthquake Prediction (EAECEP)
While not a Centre but a Committee of the Council of Europe, this institution of 13 specialists was established in 1993 by the Committee of Ministers and works closely with the EUR-OPA Specialized Centres. It is responsible for giving advice on earthquake prediction made by scientists. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/eaecep.htm

European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
The Centre is an international organisation supported by 24 European States, based in Reading, west of London, in the United Kingdom. The principal objectives of the Centre are: the development of numerical methods for medium-range weather forecasting; the preparation, on a regular basis, of medium-range weather forecasts for distribution to the meteorological services of the Member States; scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts; collection and storage of appropriate meteorological data. In addition, the Centre: makes available a proportion of its computing facilities to its Member States for their research; assists in implementing the programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation; provides advanced training to the scientific staff of the Member States in the field of numerical weather prediction; makes the data in its extensive archives available to outside bodies. http://www.ecmwf.int

Natural Hazards Competence Centre [Jan 14 06 Davos-Dorf Switzerland]--The acronym CENAT combines the first letters of the words “CEnter” and “NATural”. These words build the basis for the organization’s name: Natural Hazards Competence Center. The Board of Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) founded CENAT in 1996 to bring together the existing natural sciences, engineering sciences, and socio-economic sciences dealing with natural hazards in the ETH domain. Since 2001, Swiss Universities and Universities of applied science are integrated as associated members. The domain of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) has a long tradition in research about natural hazards. The WSL Institute (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) alone is investing 8 millions of SFr per year in the research, the teaching and the services in relation with natural hazards. At the level of the ETH domain the investment is totally 15 millions of SFr.  www.cenat.ch/