EC calls on people to stockpile essential food to prepare for crisis

People shop at a supermarket in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: THX/TTXVN

One of the key contents of the plan is to recommend that each citizen proactively stock up on food and essential supplies enough for at least 72 hours, to ensure their own safety when facing emergency situations such as war, cyber attacks, pandemics or natural disasters.

The plan comes as Europe is experiencing a series of crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict to floods, climate change and financial instability. The EC warns that Europe cannot continue to remain passive and urgently needs to improve its preparedness in all areas.

The strategy, chaired by Commission Vice President Roxana Minzatu and expected to be launched on 26 March, focuses on strengthening preparedness at the household, community and national levels. Minzatu said the EC’s key message was to “fix the roof while the sun shines”, while acknowledging that many people still do not know how to react properly in the event of a disaster.

The 17-page draft identifies a range of threats the EU could face, including armed conflict, state-sponsored cyberattacks, extreme natural disasters and public health crises. The Commission proposes creating a European cybersecurity alert system, strengthening cooperation with NATO, and expanding stockpiles of medicines, food, raw materials and essential equipment.

The strategy also proposes the establishment of a new crisis coordination centre at EU level to monitor, support and coordinate the response in emergency situations that go beyond the capacity of individual member states.

In addition, the EC called for strengthening public-private cooperation in strategic areas such as cybersecurity and education, encouraging businesses to participate in information sharing, building strategic visions and supporting training in crisis response skills.

To increase resources, the EC also proposes to review the emergency response financing mechanism to ensure flexibility in budget allocations, and to integrate crisis preparedness into EU external investments, especially climate adaptation programmes in partner countries.

Finally, the Commission is considering a new long-term preparedness law that would set measurable standards and targets to ensure that essential social functions are protected in all situations. A list of 60 specific actions over the next two years has been proposed, including strengthening fake news monitoring, assessing preparedness in financial services, and incorporating preparedness into school curricula, all of which are planned for this year.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/the-gioi/ec-keu-goi-nguoi-dan-du-tru-luong-thuc-thiet-yeu-de-de-phong-khung-hoang-20250326113918832.htm