EU calls for better disaster planning

BRUSSELS - The European Union called Monday for better planning to curb the impact of disasters across the world, saying global warming may trigger more of them and cause worse damage.

It said it would share more early-warning information with poorer nations and urge them to plan ahead and stockpile supplies for disasters.

The EU said it would start by working on a plan with Caribbean nations, where storms made hundreds homeless last year and destroyed crops and livestock.

And the EU executive said it wanted European Union nations to do more to share alerts on forest fires and floods.

It said it expected natural disasters in Europe to increase in frequency and magnitude. Worldwide, it said the warming climate "may already be contributing to the increasing number and intensity of disasters."

Disasters already cost Europe euro15 billion ($19 billion) a year, it said. Forest fires in Greece saw hundreds of acres (hectares) laid waste last summer and forced thousands of tourists to flee vacation spots.