European Union: European Commission Presents New Preparedness Guidelines, Urging 72-Hour Self-Sufficiency and Proposing an Annual EU Preparedness Day on October 23
The European Commission took new steps on November 4 to strengthen preparedness across the European Union. At the European Civil Protection Forum, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib presented new guidelines to help people and communities prepare for emergencies, including during the first 72 hours of a crisis. She also announced plans for an annual EU Preparedness Day, with the first edition planned in October 2027. The initiatives build on a recently adopted Commission Recommendation on operational continuity and stress-testing, aimed at ensuring national civil protection contact points remain operational at all times, even during disruptive events.
The new guidelines cover four key areas: 72-hour self-sufficiency, helping people meet their essential needs during the first three days of an emergency, while public assistance is being mobilised, including through essential emergency supplies and emergency grab bags; preparedness education, integrating preparedness into early childhood and primary education curricula and providing training for educators; disability-inclusive preparedness, making measures accessible and encouraging participation by persons with disabilities in preparedness planning; and communicating risks and threats, helping authorities ensure citizens receive timely, accessible and reliable information before, during and after emergencies. The guidelines are non-binding and aim to foster a culture of preparedness across Europe.
The proposed EU Preparedness Day would be held every October 23, starting in 2027, marking the anniversary of the establishment of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on October 23, 2001. The Commission will work with the European Parliament, the Council and other EU bodies on a joint declaration supporting the initiative. The measures mark further progress in delivering the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, adopted in March 2025, which promotes a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to anticipating, preventing and responding to crises.
Source: 欧盟委员会
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：欧盟委员 Hadja Lahbib（2024年），Aurore Martignoni / European Union 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0 授权 / Photo: European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib in 2024, by Aurore Martignoni / European Union, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
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