CMDR COE and ESDC Strengthen Disaster Relief Expertise in the CSDP Context
Date: (17-07-2026)
The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence hosted the Disaster Relief in the Common Security and Defence Policy Context Course this week.
The course was conducted under the auspices of the European Security and Defence College and organised in cooperation with the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, the National College of Internal Affairs of Romania, and the “G. S. Rakovski” National Defence College.
The course was honoured by the presence of H.E. Brândușa Predescu, Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Bulgaria, Dr Raed Arafat, Secretary of State and Head of the Department for Emergency Situations of Romania, as well as senior representatives from the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, ESDC, and partner institutions.
Over four days, participants from military, civilian, diplomatic, police, academic, and humanitarian backgrounds examined how the European Union coordinates its policies, institutions, and capabilities when disaster strikes.
The programme covered the full disaster-management chain, from prevention and preparedness to emergency response, humanitarian assistance, civil protection, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Particular attention was given to the EU’s institutional architecture, the role of ECHO, the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, the European External Action Service, and cooperation with international and local partners.
The course also examined the responsible use of CSDP instruments and military assets in disaster-affected environments. Participants also discussed how military capabilities can support civilian-led and humanitarian responses through logistics, engineering, medical support, communications, situational awareness, and planning, when requested and properly coordinated.
The agenda combined expert lectures, lessons learned, practical discussions, and a table-top exercise led by Romanian emergency-management experts. Key topics included civil-military cooperation in disaster relief, resilience through civil preparedness, humanitarian assistance, the role of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, disaster diplomacy, military medicine, deployable military disaster-relief capabilities, and international cooperation in emergency situations.
By bringing together diplomatic, civilian, military, police, academic, and humanitarian perspectives, the course, now in its sixth consecutive year, supports a practical and integrated understanding of disaster relief in the CSDP context.
For CMDR COE, this course reflects the Centre’s continued commitment to strengthening crisis management education, civil-military cooperation, resilience, and professional networks across institutions, sectors, and national boundaries.
News
Moldovan Officials Successfully Complete Crisis Management and Disaster Response CourseMobile Education and Training Team from CMDR COE Provides Advanced Training in Chisinau
» read more
Crisis Response Operations Planners Professional Development Course completedCROPPD course was held in CMDR COE between 27 and 31 May 2024 in hybrid mode.
» read more
2024 Centres of Excellence MarketplaceRepresentatives from CMDR COE are participating to the 2024 COE Marketplace at NATO HQ in Brussels, 22-23 May 2024.
» read more
Revisiting Dimension on Crisis Diplomacy Revisiting Crisis Diplomacy: Civilian/Political and Military Dimension Workshop
» read more
Disaster Response and Consequence Management for a Radiological Incident CourseCMDR COE in conjunction with the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Incident Policy and Cooperation (NIPC), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the NATO Joint CBRN Defence COE will conduct the Disaster Response and Consequence Management for a Radiological Incident Course from 22 APR to 26 APR 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
» read more
Cooperation with The Royal Institute for International Relations, BelgiumRepresentatives from CMDR COE delivered online lectures at the organized by the Egmont Institute a 4-day training activity in Brussels (22-25 April) to facilitate the operationalization of the newly adopted EU HRDDP (Human Rights and Due Diligence Policy on security sector support to third parties).
» read more
Advancing NATO′s Resilience: Uniting Expertise for Strategic Migration ManagementInsights from the MSG-221 Initiative: Integrating Science, Security, and Society for Enhanced Crisis Response
» read more
In support to CCOEResilience through Civil Preparedness Course by Civil-Military Cooperation COE
» read more
Building Resilient Forces: Enhancing Crisis Management Skills at BALTDEFCOLMETT Training Bolsters Military Preparedness Across 14 Nations
» read more
General Lavigne formal visitCMDR COE welcomed the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
» read more
Visit of representatives from the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign AffairsDistinguished visit from the Slovenian MFA was paid on the 6th March.
» read more
Participation in the Bulgaria-Japan-Western Balkans WorkshopA two-day session Workshop on Improving disaster risk management understanding was held on 29th and 29th February 2024.
» read more
Official Appointment of CMDR COE Department Head for the NATO Business Continuity Management
» read more
CMDR COE in the Industrial Day at Tech ParkParticipation in a high-level conference at Tech Park Sofia
» read more
Broader Initiative to Fortify ResilienceResilience workshop focused on Public Private Partnership
» read more
Navigating Resilience: A Journey through CMDR COE Internship with Ms. Tsveti MonovaExploring the Interplay of Strategic Communications and Resilience in the Military Context
» read more
Strategic Collaboration and Future Synergies: A Diplomatic Dialogue at CMDR COEExploring Partnerships for Crisis Management and Disaster Response between Denmark and the Republic of Bulgaria.
» read more
Participation in I/ITSEC 2023CMDR COE delivered an article on the subject “Refugee Flow Management and Resilience Implications”
» read more
