The European Union is advising its 450 million people to be ready for emergencies, advising them to keep essential supplies, like food and water, enough for at least 72 hours. The recommendation comes as the 27-nation bloc reassesses its security plans, considering increasing threats from war, cyberattacks, climate change, and disease.

The European Union is urging preparedness due to a rapidly changing world, filled with growing instability and interconnected risks, the bloc has faced challenges like the Covid-19 pandemic and rising tensions with Russia, including worries about energy security and support for Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has also warned that Russia could attack Europe by 2030, emphasising the need for increased alertness. During the introduction of a new EU strategy aimed at improving disaster preparedness and response, Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib stated, "Today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected."

Despite the commission's desire to avoid coming out as alarmist, Lahbib stated that it is crucial "to make sure people have essential supplies for at least 72 hours in a crisis." She mentioned essential items to stock, including food, water, flashlights, ID papers, medicine, and shortwave radios, Lahbib suggested that the EU should create a "strategic reserve" and store other critical resources, including firefighting planes, medical, energy, and transport equipment, and specialised assets for protection against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, The EU's plans are similar to those of France, Finland, and Sweden, In 2024, Sweden updated its Cold War-era civil emergency advice "to better reflect today's security policy reality," including guidance on what to do in case of a nuclear attack. 

Not all EU countries are equally prepared for crises, and the Commission wants to encourage them to work together better in emergencies. “We can no longer rely on ad hoc reactions," Lahbib said.