EU Launches Preparedness Union Strategy to Strengthen Crisis Response and Resilience
Europe gears up for the unexpected with the launch of the Preparedness Union Strategy - a bold new plan to tackle everything from wildfires to cyberattacks, ensuring a safer future for all.
The European Commission, alongside the High Representative, has unveiled the Preparedness Union Strategy, designed to bolster the European Union’s capacity to prevent and respond to emerging threats. The strategy arrives at a critical time when the EU faces an increasingly complex and volatile security environment, ranging from geopolitical tensions and cybersecurity risks to the growing impacts of climate change and natural disasters.
In response to these challenges, the strategy presents a comprehensive action plan comprising 30 key actions aimed at enhancing Europe’s preparedness. It aims to cultivate a “preparedness by design” culture across all EU policies and bring a coordinated, proactive approach to crisis management.
Europe’s Evolving Threat Landscape
The European Union’s new strategy is focused on addressing a wide array of threats that are becoming more interrelated and complex. These include hybrid and cybersecurity attacks, foreign interference through disinformation, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing challenges posed by climate change. The strategy also recognises that both natural and human-induced disasters, such as wildfires, floods, and pandemics, require urgent and systematic preparedness.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the need for a new level of preparedness, saying:
“New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe. Our citizens, our Member States, and our businesses need the right tools to act both to prevent crises and to react swiftly when a disaster hits."
The Preparedness Union Strategy incorporates measures to ensure that both citizens and governments are better equipped to face these crises. It includes initiatives to protect essential societal functions, such as healthcare, schools, transport, and telecommunications, while promoting population preparedness and enhancing crisis response coordination.
Key Objectives and Actions
- Protecting Essential Services: The strategy aims to establish minimum preparedness criteria for essential services, such as hospitals, schools, and transport, while enhancing the stockpiling of critical equipment and resources, including medical supplies and critical raw materials.
- Promoting Population Preparedness: Public awareness and preparedness are central to the strategy. Citizens are encouraged to maintain essential supplies for emergencies and are invited to participate in a new EU Preparedness Day, where lessons on crisis preparedness will be integrated into school curricula.
- Enhanced Crisis Response Coordination: The EU will set up a new EU Crisis Hub to streamline the response efforts of various EU bodies and improve coordination during crises.
- Strengthening Civil-Military Cooperation: Regular EU-wide preparedness exercises will unite armed forces, civil protection agencies, and emergency services to enhance collaboration and efficiency in disaster response.
- Foresight and Anticipation Capabilities: A comprehensive risk and threat assessment will be developed, ensuring that the EU can anticipate and mitigate emerging risks, including natural disasters and hybrid threats.
- Public-Private Cooperation: The EU will foster stronger ties between government and industry to ensure the availability of essential goods and services during crises, including ensuring rapid responses from businesses when disaster strikes.
- International Collaboration: Enhanced cooperation with NATO and other international partners will ensure the EU is well-prepared for cross-border crises, whether they are natural disasters or geopolitical tensions.
Building a Resilient Europe for the Future
The strategy’s overarching goal is to create a more resilient and secure continent, capable of effectively managing the crises of the 21st century. By bringing together all levels of government and society, the EU aims to create a culture of preparedness that extends from national governments down to individual citizens.
The need for this strategic shift was outlined in the Niinistö Report, which called for a profound change in Europe’s approach to crisis preparedness, with an emphasis on a collective, all-hazards approach. The report highlighted that such a shift is urgent, given the escalating challenges in health, migration, technology security, climate, defence, and the economy.
Addressing Cross-Border Crises
Many of the crises Europe faces today transcend national borders, making coordination and collaboration between EU Member States crucial. The Preparedness Union Strategy addresses this by strengthening the EU's early warning systems and enhancing cooperation through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). It also highlights the importance of fostering public-private partnerships to ensure that critical infrastructure and supply chains remain intact during crises.
The strategy also acknowledges that hybrid threats, such as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, require an integrated response that involves both civil and military authorities. This dual approach will be key to maintaining Europe’s security and preparedness for future threats.
Conclusion
The Preparedness Union Strategy marks a significant step in Europe’s ability to respond to the growing complexities of today’s world. By implementing proactive measures, the EU aims to safeguard its citizens, essential services, and infrastructure against future crises, whether natural or man-made. As Ursula von der Leyen noted, the new realities demand a new level of preparedness — one that prioritises resilience, foresight, and collective action across Europe.
For further details, the full strategy and action plan can be found on the European Commission’s website.
The full press release and more details on the Preparedness Union Strategy can be found here:
