Bottled water, energy bars, a flashlight and more: the EU is pushing for every household in the 27-country bloc to have a three-day survival kit ready in case of crisis – be it a conflict, pandemic or natural disaster.
The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled a list of 30 concrete ways for EU member states to boost their preparedness, counseling residents of the bloc to have enough resources to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in case they are cut off from essential services.
The 72-hour survival kit is part of a broader "preparedness strategy" in line with a key report last year on strengthening Europe's civilian and military preparedness as the bloc faces new challenges, said EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
"In the EU we must think different because the threats are different, we must think bigger because the threats are bigger too,” she said.
"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 stripped of toilet paper in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lahbib posted a video on social media detailing items citizens should keep in an emergency bag, including medicine and essential documents in a plastic pouch as well as a Swiss army knife.
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Overall, households are urged to stock up on a dozen key items – also including matches and a radio – as part of their "resilience" kit.
The EU also 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."
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The "preparedness" strategy – and the survival kit in particular – takes inspiration from 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 a grinding war against a three-year-long 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".
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01:26
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)