site.btaCitizens Should Be Ready to Cope for 72 Hours in Crises, European Commission Expert Says
In times of crisis, citizens should be prepared to cope on their own for up to 72 hours until government assistance arrives, Maarten Vergauwen, a policy expert at the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, said during a European Citizens' Panel on crisis preparedness.
Vergauwen is part of the team that worked on the EU Preparedness Strategy, which outlines 30 key actions and a detailed plan across all areas of EU policy. Addressing 150 randomly selected citizens participating in the panel, he said the strategy conveys a clear message that preparedness is a shared responsibility of both governments and citizens. A dedicated chapter on personal preparedness recommends that individuals have the necessary supplies to survive for 72 hours until help arrives.
He stressed that EU Member States should be encouraged to work actively towards improving public preparedness for crises and disasters.
Four Bulgarian participants representing different types of settlements took part in the European Citizens' Panel: Andrey Dimitrov (Isperih), Antoaneta Petkova (Rebarkovo), Konstantin Georgiev (Burgas), and Andrey Tomov (Sofia). Over three days, together with participants from all 27 EU Member States, they discussed crisis preparedness.
The panel is structured in three sessions. An online meeting of participants is scheduled for April, followed by a final session at the end of May, which will produce concrete recommendations from EU citizens. From June to December, the European Commission will take action based on these recommendations, while in the spring of next year citizens will receive feedback on the policy measures derived from their input.
Since 2021, nearly 2,000 people from across Europe have taken part in similar European Citizens’ Panels on various topics.
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