EU activates Copernicus to help Slovenia monitor floods
Brussels, 4 August - The EU's Copernicus Emergency Management Service has been activated upon the request of Slovenian authorities to assist them in responding to the ongoing severe floods and landslides in the country, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said on Friday.
Mozirje
Floods in the Mozirje area, mid north-east.
Photo: Mozirje firefighters
The Copernicus monitoring system has been activated at the request of the Slovenian Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, the EU commissioner from Slovenia said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The satellite-supported monitoring of the situation will help disaster relief and other authorities in responding to severe flash floods that have affected most parts of the country.
Earlier Lenarčič said the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was ready to be activated if Slovenia asked for assistance.
In situations where the scale of an emergency situation exceeds a country's capacity to respond on its own, the country can request assistance through the EU's mechanism, which in effect means assistance from other EU countries and states participating in the mechanism.