EU Preparedness Conference

Key information

Date(s): 23 - 24 March 2026

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Attendance type: Face-to-face

Registration instructions: As this is a closed event, invitations will be sent out directly to the participants.

Organiser: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

Description

The EU Preparedness Conference took place on 23rd and 24th of March 2026, marking one year since the adoption of the Preparedness Union Strategy (PUS). In the spirit of the whole-of-society and all-of-government approaches promoted in the Strategy, the Conference brought together a total of 350 participants from a broad range of backgrounds, including academia, the private sector, civil protection authorities, the military, international organizations and civil society groups.

The discussions during the Conference underlined the continued relevance and urgency of further promoting preparedness across sectors following an all-hazards approach, preparing for the worst-case scenario of armed conflict, natural disasters and hybrid threats simultaneously.

Opening speeches by Commissioner Lahbib, Executive Vice President Mînzatu and Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Kuleba reflected the need for further action to strengthen preparedness in a more measurable way and to guarantee vital societal functions during emergencies.

Two panel discussions and four thematic breakout sessions (civil-military cooperation, population preparedness, preparedness-by-design and public-private preparedness) identified the need to enhance collaboration and communication across sectors, stressed the imperative of including people, especially vulnerable groups, in preparedness activities and delivered a clear call to action: the EU must develop robust resilience plans drawing directly from Ukraine’s experience.