Lithuania’s Interior Ministry has proposed to develop a new crisis management model, which would involve a crisis management centre to monitor threats and make preparations for emergency situations.
The government on June 15 approved draft legislative amendments to make that happen.
According to the ministry, the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) would operate as a structural unit of the Office of the Government, and not as a separate authority funded from the state budget.
“The NKVC would conduct round-the-clock monitoring and analysis of situations, make assessments and forecasts using professionals and experts in all necessary fields, with the aim to ensure timely response and eliminate potential threats,” the ministry said in the explanatory note of the bill.
The amendments would also allow “to integrate crisis management and civil security systems, removing the Governmental Emergency Situations Commission (VESK) and municipal emergency situations commissions as excessive links”.
The VESK would be replaced by a National Security Commission (NSK) – a political platform for the coordination of decisions, which would submit proposals to the government on strategic decisions and assess the state of preparedness.
The commission would be led by the prime minister and would include, as members, the representatives of the presidential office, intelligence, civil security and other key national authorities.
Meanwhile, the NKVC would supply expertise, coordinate resources, provide information to decision-makers and monitor threats on a continuous basis.
The ministry estimates that the establishment of the NKVC would cost approximately 1.1 million euros.
According to the explanatory note, the Interior Ministry aims to create an integrated crisis management and civil security system, to improve coordination of the country’s preparations for crises and emergency situations, nuclear or other possible disasters. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
