Water, torch, energy bars: EU wants citizens to prep for crises
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Military instructors showing civilians in Poland how to evacuate wounded people with stretchers, during a summer training programme in 2024.
PHOTO: AFP
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BRUSSELS – Bottled water, energy bars, a torch and more: the European Union is pushing for every household in the 27-country bloc to have a three-day survival kit ready in case a crisis strikes – be it a conflict or natural disaster.
EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP that the idea would be formally presented on March 26 as part of a broader “preparedness strategy” for the bloc.
In practice, Brussels would like every citizen to be equipped for 72 hours of self-sufficiency, she said, in line with a key 2024 report on strengthening Europe’s civilian and military preparedness.
“Knowing what to do in case of danger, gaming out different scenarios, that’s also a way to prevent people from panicking,” she added – recalling shelves being raided clean of toilet paper in the early days of the pandemic, for instance.
Households would be urged to stock up on a dozen key items – including matches and identity documents in a waterproof pouch – as part of their “resilience” kit.
The EU wants to promote a “national preparedness day” – aimed at ensuring member states are on track with the plans.
“All of this comes in addition to national strategies,” Ms Lahbib said. “It’s about better coordinating and supporting member states in their strategies.”
The “preparedness” strategy – and the survival kit in particular – draws on the recommendations of a report presented to the European Commission by former Finnish president Sauli Niinisto in late 2024.
It also takes inspiration from Scandinavia, where Finland, Sweden and Denmark have all stepped up efforts to prepare households for the possibility of a future crisis or conflict – as Ukraine fights the grinding three-year Russian invasion.
In a letter to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, three lawmakers from the European Parliament’s centrist group Renew urged the commission to go further by sending a handbook to every household in the bloc on preparing for “various crises, from potential conflict to climate disasters, pandemics and cyber threats”. AFP
