EU: nine in ten Europeans want disaster coordination, as Brussels sets up PreparEU
On 30 October, the European Commission published a Eurobarometer survey: 94% of Europeans want countries to help each other when a disaster overwhelms one of them. It also created PreparEU, an expert group due to report in spring 2027.
What happened
On 30 October, the European Commission published a special Eurobarometer on civil protection. Nine in ten respondents think it is important for the EU to coordinate disaster response, and 94% say member states should support each other when one cannot cope alone. The same day, the Commission created PreparEU, an advisory group of 11 senior experts and 6 scientists, which will report in spring 2027. The European Civil Protection Forum meets in Brussels on 3–4 November.
Why it matters
The survey shows people expect countries to help each other, and the new group will look at how to strengthen that. But outside help takes time, even when everything works. For the first hours and days, a household relies on what it already has. That is why the EU’s 2025 preparedness strategy advises people to be able to manage on their own for 72 hours.
What you can do
- See how close you are to 72 hours of water, food, light and medicine (see Home supplies for 2 weeks).
- Agree with your family where you would meet and how you would make contact if phones are down (see Family emergency plan).
- Pick one realistic next step instead of buying everything at once (see Three levels of preparedness).
Helpful guides
- Emergency kit Checklist Home supplies for 2 weeks What to keep at home to get through two weeks of power cuts, snowstorms, lockdowns or water outages without worry. A complete checklist, by category.
- Emergency kit Family emergency plan Meeting points, an out-of-town contact, who picks up the kids, what happens to pets. A simple one-page plan any family can make in an evening.
- Emergency kit Checklist Three levels of preparedness Emergency preparedness in three steps: the essential level (3–7 days, what every home should have), the moderate level (2 weeks, plus skills and power) and the advanced level (a month or more, self-reliance). With checklists for each.