Centres of Competence

Centres of Competence provide services, information, data, analyses and technical-scientific contributions in specific areas. They can coincide with Functional Centres or be external entities, but they participate in the network of Functional Centres through the stipulation of agreements that identify the areas of activity of each structure. Centres of Competence that collaborate with the Functional Centre Network include central and regional administrations, agencies, research institutes, universities, and basin authorities.

The most recent list of Centres of Competence was identified by Department Head Decree No. 3152 of July 24, 2013, published in the Official Gazette No. 220 of September 19, 2013, subsequently supplemented by decrees of the Department Head of April 14, 2014 and May 26, 2016. With this decree, the previous decree No. 3593 of July 20, 2011 was repealed.

The principles that establish the purposes and identify the Centres of Competence were defined in the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of September 14, 2012. The same decree identifies the subjects among which the Centres of Competence may be identified, which are:

a) Operational units and public subjects appointed to carry out activities, services, studies and research in disciplinary areas of specific or exclusive competence, including territorial, attributed by laws, legislative and regulatory measures, for the pursuit of institutional purposes;

b) Entities participated in by National Civil Protection Service components, established with the aim of promoting technological development and advanced training, in which the subject is fully public participation, performs its activities primarily for the National Civil Protection Service and is subject to supervision by the Department of Civil Protection;

c) Universities, University Departments, Research Centers that have exclusive technical and scientific knowledge or patents in the use of intellectual rights, intellectual and scientific research;

d) Universities, University Departments, Research Centers, on which the National Commission for the Forecasting and Prevention of Major Risks expresses its opinion of technical and scientific merit, on the basis of a comparative assessment following specific needs formulated by the Department of Civil Protection for the various types of risk that can not cope with the subjects referred to in letters a), b) and c).

Below is a list of the Centres of Competence, categorized by type of organization.