On 2 June 2026, Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib addressed the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, warning that the EU faces a new reality of overlapping crises and calling for sustained political and financial commitment to preparedness. She highlighted the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, conflict-driven global economic pressures, and a series of climate-related disasters in Europe, including record wildfires and severe floods.
Lahbib outlined progress under the Preparedness Union Strategy, adopted one year ago, which she described as a cornerstone of EU crisis response. She noted three areas of advancement: embedding preparedness into EU policymaking and funding, strategic stockpiling through the EU Stockpiling Strategy, and turning risk awareness into operational readiness via a forthcoming Comprehensive Risk and Threat Assessment and EU Minimum Preparedness Requirements. She also stressed the importance of citizen preparedness, promoting 72 hours of self-sufficiency, and announced the launch of the first EU-supported exchange for young firefighters in June.
On health, Lahbib framed climate change as a public health challenge, citing record mosquito-borne infections and the need for a One Health approach. She referenced the Medical Countermeasures Strategy as a tool to strengthen detection and response to vector-borne diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Lahbib also addressed ongoing negotiations on the proposal for a regulation on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and health emergency preparedness, which includes a Crisis Coordination Hub and reinforced civil-military cooperation. She called for a budget of 10.7 billion euros and urged Parliament's support to reach an agreement soon.
Regarding wildfires, Lahbib noted that the Commission had presented a Wildfire Communication on 1 June 2026, alongside Commissioner Roswall, and earlier in May adopted a proposal for a Council Recommendation to maintain political momentum. She warned that the summer outlook is concerning, with above-average temperatures forecast, and confirmed that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated twice this year, earlier than ever before. Pre-positioned resources include 770 firefighters in high-risk regions and a rescEU aircraft fleet.
Lahbib concluded by announcing a new European Climate Resilience Framework to be presented later this year, aimed at embedding resilience across EU policies. She emphasised that preparedness is a strategic necessity for security, prosperity, and citizen safety, and called for continued cooperation among EU institutions, Member States, the private sector, and citizens.
The speech contained concrete proposals, including numerical targets (72 hours of self-sufficiency, 770 pre-positioned firefighters) and institutional structures (Crisis Coordination Hub, Comprehensive Risk and Threat Assessment), but did not provide new budget figures beyond the previously proposed 10.7 billion euros. The policy orientation is toward stronger EU-level coordination and investment in crisis preparedness, with a focus on cross-sectoral and civil-military cooperation. The speech did not address foreign policy beyond noting global impacts of conflict and disease.
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