The Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) is the area responsible for the ex ante study and planning regarding the use of crucial means and resources necessary to meet any crisis situation as early as possible, and also to manage that use, in the course of the situation, establishing and defining the priorities for its allocation and usage.
Being incumbent upon the State, which means it is everyone's responsibility, it is a central element as far as the development and integration of the non-military components of National Defence are concerned, and an important instrument for the preparation of measures that minimize vulnerabilities and enhance existing means, in crisis situations.
The Civil Emergency Planning is an activity that requires the interconnection of several subjects and sectors, all of them relevant as regards the guarantee of the safety and well-being of the Portuguese people, namely the continuity of governmental action, the survival ability of the nation, the protection of the population, the preservation of economic activities, the support to the military sector and the safeguard of the national heritage.
A better management of national resources in crisis situations is achieved through the ex ante study and planning of its usage, leading to the reduction of costs and to the increase in the effectiveness, with a significant economic impact.
To summarise, the CEP aims to ensure:
• The normality, as far as possible, of social and economic life of the country in an crisis situation;
The most effective use of strategic resources for defence purposes in crisis situations.