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The European Union just delivered a message that's hard to ignore: be ready. On Wednesday, EU officials announced a sweeping new plan urging everyone across the bloc-450 million people-to stockpile at least three days' worth of food, water, and basic supplies.
It's a shift in tone that reflects growing unease in Brussels. From the war in Ukraine to increasingly frequent cyberattacks and climate disasters, Europe's leaders say the risks are stacking up-and fast.
Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, laid it out plainly: Europe is entering an era where complex, overlapping crises are the new norm."These threats are interconnected," she said. "We need to prepare before they happen, not after."
"It's not just about panic-It's about readiness"
The EU's message isn't meant to spark fear, officials say. Instead, it's a call to build resilience. Citizens are being asked to keep essentials like flashlights, ID papers, medication, and shortwave radios on hand. The idea is to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours if the unexpected happens-whether that's a cyberattack knocking out power or extreme weather disrupting supply chains.
Behind the scenes, the EU is also working on larger-scale preparedness. That includes building up reserves of firefighting planes, medical supplies, and gear designed to handle nuclear or biological threats.
Security concerns are driving the urgency. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently warned that Russia could be capable of launching another military attack in Europe within the next five years. That possibility, combined with global instability and climate change, has pushed the EU to rethink what emergency planning looks like.
Some countries aren't waiting for Brussels. Sweden has already revived its Cold War-era emergency readiness campaign and updated advice for nuclear incidents. Finland and have taken similar steps.
The challenge now is making sure every EU country-and its citizens-are on the same page. "We can't rely on last-minute fixes anymore,"Lahbib said. "This has to be part of how we live going forward."