<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares has downplayed the importance of the survival kit recommended by the European Commission and warned that "we must not unnecessarily worry our citizens."</strong></h4> "At this time, there is no threat to Spain's sovereignty or territorial integrity, nor to any war," the minister declared this Thursday during an interview with the TVE program 'La hora de La 1'. "I believe we must not unnecessarily worry our citizens," he added. According to Albares, "in some northern and eastern European countries, these types of preparedness exercises are common and are part of their security culture." "It is a consensual document and includes requests from different states," he continued. "I believe that here in Spain, the security culture is very different and the needs are very different; we are not used to seeing these types of documents," he added. The European Commission presented a strategy on Wednesday to improve its crisis response capacity. In addition to strengthening institutional coordination and the resilience of critical infrastructure, the initiative focuses on citizen preparedness, recommending that every household have an emergency kit with essential supplies for at least 72 hours. This measure is part of a broader effort to shift from reactive management to proactive planning for natural disasters, cyberattacks, and other threats. Factors such as the war in Ukraine, the increase in cyberattacks, the proliferation of disinformation, and natural disasters intensified by climate change, according to the European Commission, have highlighted the need for a more coordinated and structured approach within the bloc. The European Commission recognizes that responses to previous crises have been reactive and fragmented, and is therefore committed to more effective planning. This strategy is structured around seven areas of action. First, forecasting capacity will be improved through a comprehensive risk assessment and a more efficient early warning system. Furthermore, the resilience of essential societal functions, such as energy supply, economic stability, and environmental protection, will be ensured. The public will also play a central role in this initiative, with awareness-raising campaigns, educational programs, and accessible information mechanisms to strengthen their crisis preparedness. The strategy also focuses on public-private cooperation, with the aim of ensuring the provision of strategic goods and services in emergency situations. Coordination between civilian and military authorities will be strengthened to jointly respond to large-scale crises, including potential external aggression. Within the EU, communication and decision-making will be optimized in critical situations, while at the global level, work will be done with neighboring countries and strategic allies to reduce shared risks and strengthen common resilience. The action plan associated with this strategy includes 30 concrete measures with defined timeframes for implementation, marking the shift from a reactive to a proactive approach. The EU seeks to consolidate a more integrated and efficient structure to address future crises. The strategy establishes minimum preparedness standards for critical services such as hospitals, transportation, telecommunications, and water supply. Storage capacity for key materials and equipment will be strengthened, ensuring sufficient reserves to respond to emergencies. In addition, a climate adaptation plan will be implemented to reduce risks associated with extreme events such as fires, floods, and droughts, ensuring the availability of essential resources such as water. Citizen awareness and training is another central focus of the strategy. The European Commission will promote individual and community preparedness through awareness-raising campaigns and resilience education. In this regard, Brussels recommends that every European household have an "emergency kit" with basic supplies for at least 72 hours. Emergency preparedness training will also be included in educational programs, and youth participation in volunteer activities related to crisis management will be encouraged. To strengthen this culture of resilience, an "EU Preparedness Day" will be established, aimed at educating and training the population in self-protection measures.
