The EU urges citizens to have emergency supplies in case of war or climate catastrophe.

BrusselsThe European Union is increasingly fearful of the threat of Russian expansionism and the effects of climate change. The European Commission has prepared a plan urging citizens to prepare for the worst: war or climate disasters like the DANA in the Valencian Community. Specifically, Brussels is asking all Europeans to have stocks of water, medicines, batteries, and food to survive for at least 72 hours without external assistance in the event of a war or a climate or environmental disaster.

The plan, or Crisis Preparedness Strategy, was presented this Wednesday and details a set of 30 strategic actions for all Member States to implement jointly. One of these is civil preparedness, with the aim of ensuring that the population is better prepared to face a military or climate-related emergency. In fact, in a similar document presented last OctoberBrussels was already considering the possibility of promoting the reinstatement of compulsory civil or military service in the European bloc.

Furthermore, the EU executive also wants to enhance the technical military knowledge of citizens, both young and old, and insists that women should also be included. Thus, Brussels proposes that state administrations offer specialized courses for all citizens and, for example, carry out military or mobilization maneuvers in the event of a climate emergency.

Regarding the survival kit, the European Commission has stated that it should consist of water, canned food, lighting equipment, identity documents, and, among other things, a radio. Furthermore, Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib explained in a video on social media that cash, a Swiss Army knife, and medication should also be on hand.

Sharing resources

In this regard, Brussels wants to strengthen coordination among Member States so they can share the resources at their disposal as quickly as possible. "The European Union must be able to deploy all available means and assets," states the document from Ursula von der Leyen's government, which also emphasizes that the "most critical point" is the first moments of an armed attack or an environmental catastrophe.

Along the same lines, the European Commission also proposes coordinating strategic drug reservess, of essential raw materials, energy, and even food. In this regard, Brussels already presented a strategy earlier this month to share the most critical medicines and avoid further shortages like those experienced during Covid.

On the other hand, the EU executive plans to announce the launch of a platform so that all EU citizens can learn about the guidelines they should follow in the event of a disaster and survive until normality is restored. Through this application, they will also be able to find out about emergency services available near them, such as shelters, especially for tourists who are not at home and are not as familiar with the area.

In this way, the EU club takes its cue from the Nordic countries, especially Sweden and Finland, two countries that place great importance on civil defense. In addition to professional defense with the armed forces, both countries rely on a security system known as total defense, whichalso relies on civil defense, that is, it trusts that all citizens will contribute to protecting the state and functioning of public services in the event of a crisis.

At the end of last year, Sweden updated the information leaflet it sent to all households in the country in 2018, in which it reminds people of some basic notions of self-protection in the event of an emergency. Seven years ago, the Scandinavian country was an exception, but in recent months many other European countries, such as Finland, Norway, Denmark and most recently France, have followed their example and have made similar guides available to the population.

Recover military autonomy

This plan comes at a time when the European Union is more determined than ever to regain military autonomy and stop depending on military powers like the United States, especially since Donald Trump's return to the White House. In fact, European leaders endorsed von der Leyen's roadmap for rearming the European bloc at forced marches and currently plan to mobilize some €800 billion over four years, the majority of which would come from the coffers of the member states rather than the European Union as a whole.

Furthermore, in recent days, various reports have emerged indicating that more and more intelligence services in member states, especially in Eastern European countries, fear Russian aggression within the next five to ten years. In this regard, Von der Leyen stated in a speech last Tuesday that by 2030 the European Union should be prepared for a potential military attack, especially from Vladimir Putin's regime.

Thus, Brussels and the EU as a whole not only want to strengthen armies and their military resources, but also to prepare all EU citizens. In this way, the European Commission is calling for a "change of mentality" and to "stop taking for granted" the peace the European bloc has enjoyed in recent years, especially due to Russian expansionism and the United States' abandonment of security.