Bottled water, energy bars, a flashlight and more: the European Union is pushing for every household in the 27-country bloc to have a three-day survival kit ready in case a crisis strikes - be it a war or natural disaster. EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP that the idea would be formally presented as part of a broader "preparedness strategy" for the European Union
In practice, Brussels would like every citizen to be equipped for 72 hours of self-sufficiency, said Lahbib, in line with a key report last year on strengthening Europe's civilian and military preparedness. "Knowing what to do in case of danger, gaming out different scenarios, that's also a way to prevent people from panicking," said Lahbib - recalling shelves being raided clean of toilet paper in the early days of the pandemic for instance.
Households would be urged to stock up on a dozen key items - also including matches and ID documents in a waterproof pouch for instance - as part of their "resilience" kit. And the EU wants to promote a "national preparedness day" - aimed at ensuring member states are on track with the plans. "All of this comes in addition to national strategies," Lahbib said. "It's about better coordinating, supporting member states in their strategies."
The "preparedness" strategy - and the survival kit in particular - draws on the recommendations of a report presented to the European Commission by Finland's former president Sauli Niinisto late last year.
It also takes inspiration from the example of Scandinavia, where Finland, Sweden and Denmark have all stepped up efforts to prepare households for the possibility of a future crisis or conflict - as Ukraine fights the grinding three-year Russian invasion.
In a letter to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, three lawmakers from the European Parliament's centrist group Renew urged the commission to go further by sending a handbook to every household in the bloc on preparing for "various crises, from potential conflict to climate disasters, pandemics and cyberthreats."
