“In the current international context, Europe’s preparedness is both imperative and urgent. We need a strategy that brings together measures and instruments linking the Union, its Member States, all institutions and levels of government—including regional and local authorities—the private sector, citizens, and society as a whole, in order to address the multidimensional, complex, and cross-border dangers and threats we face.” With these words, María Isabel Urrutia de los Mozos (ES/EPP), Regional Minister for the Presidency, Justice, Security and Administrative Simplification of the Government of Cantabria, and European Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on the European Preparedness Union Strategy, presented her opinion during the NAT Commission meeting in Brussels.
Urrutia de los Mozos underlined that while preparing the opinion, one thing became clear: the urgent need for a European Preparedness Union Strategy. This strategy, she stressed, must be accompanied by measures and instruments binding all institutions and administrations at every level of government—local, regional, national, and European. Importantly, society and the private sector must also play an active role, with rights and obligations, and with a top priority on raising citizens’ awareness from the local to the European level.
The opinion emphasises the need for regions to have a voice, decision-making power, and active participation in matters concerning Europe’s preparedness. “This is vital because we are prepared, because we have long been doing this on our own, because we are the closest link and the first point of contact for citizens, and because neither awareness, prevention, nor citizen participation will be possible without the active involvement of local and regional authorities. This is something the Commission proposal has overlooked,” stressed Urrutia de los Mozos.
The opinion also encourages the participation of trained and organized volunteers, as well as social organizations that support vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities or those facing unwanted loneliness, both in preparedness and in crisis response. It calls for the creation of a genuine European Risk Map, to identify and quickly assist vulnerable people, and for strengthening the Civil Protection Mechanism.
In addition, the opinion proposes the establishment of a Network of Regions Affected by Disasters to enhance the sharing of experiences, learn lessons, improve prevention, anticipation, response, and recovery measures, and address risks and threats that are often common across Europe. The rapporteur also highlighted the importance of professional training, especially for the media, which serve as the primary communication channel with citizens in emergencies.
Next Steps
The opinion, adopted by the NAT Commission, will now be debated and set for adoption at the Plenary session on 10–11 December 2025.