Grégory Allione MEP (Renaissance, FR), Anna-Maja Henriksson (SFP, FI) and Nathalie Loiseau (Horizons, FR) called on the European Commission to develop and issue a comprehensive EU-wide crisis preparedness guide to be sent to all EU households.
In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the three MEPs urged to follow the example of Finland, Sweden and Denmark in implementing national preparedness initiatives that help citizens respond to emergencies such as natural disasters, pandemics, cyber threats and potential conflicts.
“The Commission will soon present its EU Preparedness Union Strategy, a major step to guarantee our security and reinforce our resilience. Europe needs to create a true culture of preparedness, involving all European citizens. Because we are safer together, solidarity and civic commitment must guide our actions towards a better prepared Europe," said Allione.
The letter highlights how Finland’s “Preparing for Crises and Incidents Guide" and Sweden’s “In case of crisis or war” are successful examples of this, while the Sauli Niinistö report from October 2024 clearly acknowledges the crucial role of citizens in preparedness and awareness raising.
MEPs argue that an EU-wide initiative would not only harmonise preparedness measures but also strengthen solidarity across Member States.
“Empowering citizens with knowledge is one of the most effective ways to strengthen our collective security. The Finnish model of comprehensive security and national preparedness needs to be rolled out across Europe and the European Commission can play a role here in sharing best practices. As Europeans, we are only as resilient as our weakest link,” added Henriksson.
“There is no successful security strategy without a whole of society approach. We must prevent and deter new crises, learning from the past and the present and strengthening our resilience for the future. The Niinistö report is a very good basis and we expect the Commission to come with an ambitious strategy,” concluded Loiseau.
Renew Europe called on the European Commission to incorporate proposals into its forthcoming communication on the "EU Preparedness Union" and to ensure that all EU households receive accessible and practical information on crisis preparedness.