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EC Preparedness Union Strategy to enhance accessibility of public warning and crisis communication 

On 26 March 2025, the European Commission (EC) published a Preparedness Union Strategy, proposing actions for the EU and its citizens to be prepared in a context of increasingly complex crises, from growing geopolitical tensions and conflicts, cybersecurity threats, information manipulation and interference, climate change and natural disasters.

The Preparedness Union Strategy proposes actions around seven areas:

  1. Foresight and anticipation – the early identification of risks and threats.
  2. Resilience of vital societal functions – ensuring the safety of the EU’s population, the continuity of governments and democratic processes, social cohesion, economic stability, and internal and external security.
  3. Population preparedness  – The awareness of risks and threats to ensure EU citizens are active participants in crisis preparedness and response. 
  4. Public-private cooperation – to ensure that resources, expertise and innovation from all sectors are used effectively and efficiently, for instance from the farming and fishing, industry and business sectors.
  5. Civil-military cooperation – to ensure civilian support to the armed forces to ensure the continuous operation of the state and society in case of armed aggression.
  6. Crisis response coordination among the EU member States.
  7. Resilience through external partnerships, in particular, enlargement and neighborhood partners of the EU.

The third area of action, population preparedness, is of special interest, as it underlines how vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, are disproportionately affected by crises, which is why equality considerations must be mainstreamed through preparedness. Moreover, the Action Plan calls for EU-wide public-warning to be accessible and inclusive before and during crises in order to reach all people under all circumstances, including persons with disabilities.

The EC Communication on the European Preparedness Union Strategy available here

The Annex to the EC Communication on the European Preparedness Union Strategy is available here.