Safer Together: Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness

Omschrijving

On 20 March, the President of the European Commission, together with the High Representative / Vice President, asked Special Adviser Sauli Niinistö – Former President of the Republic of Finland – to write a report on how to enhance Europe’s civilian and defence preparedness and readiness by October 2024. This report has the purpose of assessing the complex challenges the EU and its Member States face in a volatile geopolitical landscape and present recommendations to enhance the preparedness and readiness of the EU01.
The following questions guided the work on the report:

• how to improve risk identification, anticipatory analysis, strategic foresight, and early warning as a driver for coordinated action;
• how to mainstream civilian and military preparedness across sectors to overcome a silos approach and enhance EU resilience;
• how to ensure the necessary civilian and military capabilities are t for purpose to prevent, recover from and respond to crises of different origins while ensuring that response mechanisms and structures are well coordinated (EU and national level) and;
• how to foster civil-military cooperation as well as public-private partnerships and leverage international partnerships to strengthen our preparedness;
• how to enhance the awareness and resilience of EU citizens and societies.

The analysis in the report builds on and complements various relevant work strands that are already ongoing, notably in the context of horizontal crisis management, the implementation of the Strategic Compass as well other relevant EU strategies, initiatives and policies across sectors, including the civil protection, defence industry, hybrid threats, critical infrastructure, cyber security, disinformation, space, military mobility, maritime security, health and food security, economic security, etc. It draws on consultations with stakeholders across the EU institutions and bodies, Member States, relevant international organisations, representatives of the private sector and experts from think tanks and academia. The report is intended to inform, inter alia, future actions to be proposed by the High Representative and the Commission in the light of the Political Guidelines for the next Commission (2024-2029), as put forward by President von der Leyen, and her mission letters to the incoming Commissioners and High Representative. It is offered moreover as an independent analytical assessment that may provide inspiration to decision-makers in all EU institutions and Member State capitals.