Important Takeaways:
- Europe faced increased threats “including the possibility of armed aggression against member states”, the European Commission warned on Wednesday as it published a 30-step plan for its 27 capitals to increase their preparedness for crisis and mitigation measures.
- “New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe,” said commission president Ursula von der Leyen. “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.”
- It is partly designed as a wake-up call for some capitals that lack crisis-response capabilities.
- In addition to encouraging “the public to adopt practical measures, such as maintaining essential supplies for a minimum of 72 hours in emergencies”…
- It also calls for more “stockpiling of critical equipment and materials” and measures to ensure continuity of services such as healthcare, water supplies and telecommunications in the event of conflict or disaster.
- “We face an increasing number of external security challenges and a growing number of hybrid attacks,” said Kaja Kallas, the commission’s vice-president for foreign and security policy. “It is clear that Europe must be stronger on all fronts and at every level of society. It is always better to prevent crises than to deal with their consequences.”
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