The EU announces the establishment and membership of the PreparEU Advisory Group on disaster preparedness

The European Commission has launched the PreparEU Advisory Group, which will be responsible for providing strategic advice to the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, on the best way to tackle the increasing risks of disasters, including extreme weather events and wildfires.

President Ursula von der Leyen said:

“As climate change leads to increasingly extreme weather events and more natural disasters, Europe is there to help. We need to think big and learn faster. That is why we are bringing together Europe’s most experienced firefighters and emergency personnel, to draw on their expertise and improve Europe’s preparedness. From stronger civil-military coordination to the equipment and capabilities we need. The advisory group will put forward concrete proposals to make the EU’s civil protection even more effective. In this way, European solidarity will always be there when disaster strikes.”

President von der Leyen announced the creation of this advisory group in her State of the Union address on 16 September 2026. It will comprise eleven high-level experts with experience in EU civil protection and crisis management, as well as six scientists and academics from different Member States.

The advisory group will analyse the existing capabilities of EU Member States within the framework of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU. It will also examine the immediate and longer-term impact of natural hazards — such as extreme weather events and forest fires — technological risks and other emerging threats, and assess their potential effects in areas such as mass evacuations, emergency healthcare, accommodation, communications and the management of the consequences arising from disruptions to critical infrastructure. The group will discuss prevention and preparedness in the context of rapidly evolving risks, as well as the possible development of new capabilities, in particular in relation to dual-use assets and the European fire-fighting fleet.

Its first meeting will take place in early November 2026, with the aim of presenting its recommendations to President von der Leyen and Commissioner Lahbib in spring 2027.

 

More information: European Commission