The visit brought together Latvian municipal leaders and specialists, representatives of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, as well as cooperation partners and experts from Norway. During the visit, participants familiarized themselves with the Polish civil protection system, the objectives of Poland’s civil protection programme, and its key principles, with particular attention paid to cooperation between central government institutions and local authorities.
Meetings with the political leadership of Kozienice County and local municipalities, resilience and civil protection specialists, and representatives of municipal institutions provided an opportunity to discuss existing cooperation structures, successful practices, and areas requiring further improvement. Particular emphasis was placed on interinstitutional cooperation and the distribution of responsibilities in preparing for potential threats and crisis situations.
Participants also learned about Poland’s highly developed voluntary fire brigade system, which plays a vital role in local-level civil protection and emergency response in various crisis situations.
The delegation also visited the Municipality of Podkowa Leśna, where they met with Mayor Magdalena Eckhoff and learned about the municipality’s infrastructure development solutions and initiatives aimed at strengthening local resilience.
The exchange of experience enabled participants to compare the approaches of Latvia, Poland, and Norway to civil protection and municipal resilience, identify practical solutions, and continue professional discussions on how municipalities can be better prepared for crises and how cooperation between different levels of government can be strengthened.
The study visit was organized in cooperation with the Association of Polish Cities and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS). It is being implemented with support from the EEA and Norway Grants Bilateral Relations Fund 2021–2028 within the framework of the initiative “Exchange of Experience for the Development of a Municipal Cooperation and Coordination Model for Crisis Situations.