Address by Commissioner Lenarčič at the Crisis Management in the EU and Beyond Conference

Address by Commissioner Lenarčič

Ministers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are living in an age of crisis.

From worsening wildfires and floods to new pandemics and the return of war to European soil, disasters of all kinds are now part of everyday reality for Europeans across the continent.

Crossing borders and sectors.

Growing in frequency and complexity.

And striking in ever-increasing combinations in a seemingly endless, rolling state of emergency.

Meanwhile, as our societies become more interconnected, disasters are becoming more likely to escalate into national or international emergencies.

The situation is already serious. And we must only expect it to get worse.

That is why it is more important than ever that Europe stands crisis-ready.

When I became Commissioner in December 2019, the President tasked me with developing an integrated approach to crisis management.

Almost immediately thereafter, reality overtook us as the pandemic hit. Launching us into action faster than any of us had planned as we faced five years of seemingly continual emergencies.

I am proud that, together, the EU and Member States have stepped up to this challenge.

Coordinating across sectors and stakeholders.

And ensuring that humanitarian, development, security and other policies worked together to find long-term solutions to the problems facing us.

I think that together, we have turned this Commission of crisis into a Commission of action.

And we have developed the EU's role in crisis management to keep pace with the increasing rate of disaster.

From facilitating coordination and solidarity between Member States to providing rapid, flexible, and cross-sectoral disaster response.

All the time keeping scientific evidence at the heart of our policymaking.

Following the advice of the EU's Group of Chief Scientific Advisers who call for stronger European governance in strategic crisis management.

At the heart of our efforts is the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Which we have developed over this mandate into Europe's all-encompassing crisis management tool.

This includes developing our rescEU strategic reserves in every direction.

From doubling our aerial firefighting fleet to building Emergency Medical Teams and developing medical, energy, shelter and CBRN reserves.

And also finding new, innovative ways to tackle emergencies.

Such as delivering cross-sectoral support, developing private sector mobilisation and conducting medical evacuations in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Alongside all this, the European Union is playing an instrumental role in developing a stronger crisis management culture in Europe.

Strengthening ties within the broader civil protection and crisis management community across institutions as well as in Member States.

Many of you in here today will have experienced this first-hand as part of our Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network.

Which facilitates partnerships. Provides access to high-quality data and analytical tools. And exchanges best practices across over 220 organisations from nearly 50 countries at events just like this one.

We are also deepening cooperation across multiple sectors of society.

Including with the military. With information exchange on topics like scenario development and exercises.

With international humanitarian actors. Where the EU is working with OCHA in both preparedness and emergency response.

And with the private sector. With the establishment of two rescEU Donations hubs for Ukraine that coordinate private donations.

However, we must understand that soon all this may still not be enough.

To continue keeping people safe, we must continue to scale up our efforts at all levels. This is the expectation of European citizens, who expect us to do more.

A growing number of Member States are calling for a whole-of-society-approach to Europe's preparedness and crisis response. A message that is backed up by this March's Council conclusions.

And according to a recent Eurobarometer survey, over 75% of the public think that national and European levels should collaborate to prevent and respond to major cross-border emergencies.

We have to make these expectations a reality.

Deepening coordination across sectors and disciplines to build stronger collective resilience and strengthen Europe's crisis management tools.

All whilst integrating scientific evidence even further into our work.

In this light, I welcome the preparation of the Niinistö report on a Preparedness Union.

The challenge ahead of us is larger than ever. But I have faith that, together, we can build a more resilient, crisis-proof Europe.

A Europe that protects.

I hope that the discussions taking place today will bring us closer to this ambition.

Discussing the questions that will shape the future of crisis management.

And I look forward to seeing the results of today's panels.

Thank you.