European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the EU Preparedness Conference Brussels, 23 March 2026 One year ago we launched the Preparedness Union Strategy. The idea was simple: Europe must be ready for a more dangerous world. Today that is even clearer because the world around us is more unpredictable than ever. The war in Ukraine is on our doorstep. Last year was t...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the EU Preparedness Conference Brussels, 23 March 2026 One year ago we launched the Preparedness Union Strategy. The idea was simple: Europe must be ready for a more dangerous world. Today that is even clearer because the world around us is more unpredictable than ever. The war in Ukraine is on our doorstep. Last year was the deadliest since Russia's full-scale invasion began. Missiles and drones are hitting power plants, water systems, heating networks, the lifelines that keep a country alive. The war in the Middle East is shaking the region, leaving thousands of Europeans stranded and millions worried about rising energy prices. In just the past few years, we had a global pandemic, hybrid attacks, cyber-attacks, even drones shutting down airports in European capitals. We have also seen unprecedented wildfires. Last summer, Europe faced its worst wildfire season in decades with more than one million hectares burned, an area larger than Cyprus. Homes lost, forests gone, entire communities threatened. Wars and wildfires. These are two very different crises that will frame our discussions today and tomorrow, but they teach us the same lesson. When crisis hits, people expect society to keep working: food, water, electricity, hospitals, and communication. When these systems hold up under pressure, that is resilience. Few countries understand resilience better than Ukraine. The people of Ukraine have shown what it means to keep a country running under fire. Across Europe, risks are not the same. Spain faces different threats than Finland, and that is normal. Just look at their geography. One thing is clear: crises do not stay neatly packaged within borders. Fires spread. Cyberattacks jump from country to country. War shakes markets and supply chains far beyond the battlefield. Our response must therefore be collective: leaders from government, business, science, civil protection, civil society, and the military. We count on all of you here today. Over the past year, we have started putting our Preparedness Strategy into action. Together with Member States, EU institutions, the private sector, and civil society. In recent months, we have already delivered: A Water Resilience Strategy , to protect a vital resource. A Stockpiling Strategy, so we have what we need when a crisis hits. A Medical Countermeasures Strategy , to strengthen our readiness on medicines and vaccines. A Democracy Shield, to defend against disinformation. And proposals to strengthen our Civil Protection Mechanism and our Health Emergencies Response. We also created a European plan for health crises, so when the next health crisis hits, we can act faster together. Later this week, we will present a comprehensive new plan on wildfires. A key part of our Preparedness Strategy is a shift in how Europe builds its policies: preparedness by design. It means embedding preparedness across all sectors right from the start. Whenever we develop a new policy or investment, it must also pass one test: will it still work in a crisis? Will it hold up in a blackout, a flood, or during a cyberattack? Preparedness must be built-in right from the start, not added later. We are already doing this in our EU budget. Member States can now invest more in preparedness, dual use infrastructure, and security. Several countries, especially along the Eastern Border, are already investing a lot. The Commission's proposal for the next EU budget foresees even more funding for preparedness and security across all major programmes, from national investment to research and competitiveness. Preparedness is not just another policy. It is a way of thinking. Preparedness is not just about governments either. It is about people. Today nearly seven out of ten Europeans do not feel ready for emergencies and vulnerable groups are even more affected. That must change. We are working with Member States to give people simple tools to stay safe, such as knowing the risks around you, knowing where to get information, and being able to cope for three days in an emergency with food, water, medicine, basic supplies. Simple steps that save lives. If we want to change our mindset, we must start early in schools. Preparedness must become second nature. That is what I saw in Sweden and Finland where even children know what to do. Young people are key. Through Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, we support exchanges and volunteering that strengthen communities and build a European culture of preparedness. Today I am pleased to announce something new: an EU exchange programme for young firefighters, launching later this year. Volunteers and young professionals training together, learning from each other, and building the next generation of Europe's civil protection because preparedness is also about skills and teamwork. Last Friday, we heard directly from citizens. We held our first European Citizens' Panel on Preparedness. People from across Europe shared their experience, what works in their communities, and what does not. Our policies must be shaped by real life and real experience, from every corner of Europe. Their ideas will help make us all safer. One year ago, at the launch of this Strategy, I said: “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for Europe's security.” Today, that is even more true. The threats we face are fast-moving, complex, and they are all connected. The war in the Middle East is just the latest reminder. In Europe, we have a clear choice: turn away and hope for the best or face reality and prepare. We have chosen to prepare, and this Strategy is our plan of action. When we prepare together, Europe is stronger, safer and more confident. When we prepare together, we keep the flame of our democracies burning brightly. SPEECH/26/685
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