EU Commission issues 72-hour emergency preparedness guide for citizens

A guide for the first 72 hours

The European Commission presented a new preparedness guide on 3 November 2026 to help citizens and communities cope during the first 72 hours of an emergency or crisis. The guidance covers extreme weather, natural disasters, cyberattacks and other hybrid threats. It asks households to hold an emergency kit with supplies that can last at least 72 hours, until state services and civil protection mechanisms can provide assistance. The Commission presented the guidelines at the European Civil Protection Forum, where Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib outlined them. The initiative responds to crises that the Commission describes as increasingly frequent and complex.

What the emergency kit should contain

Households are advised to keep bottled water at roughly two litres per person per day, along with long-life foods that need no cooking, such as tins, cereal bars and nuts. The list also includes a first-aid kit, personal or prescription medicines and hygiene products. For communication and light, the guidance recommends a torch with batteries or a dynamo, a portable radio to receive official information, spare batteries and a power bank for charging devices. Copies of identity cards, passports and insurance policies should be kept in a waterproof case, together with a small amount of cash.

Four priority areas

The guidance is organised around four areas. The first is 72-hour self-sufficiency, which means helping citizens meet their basic needs during the first three days of an emergency while public aid is mobilised, including through emergency supplies and emergency bags. The second is preparedness education, which would integrate readiness into pre-primary and primary school curricula and provide training for teachers, so that children build preparedness skills from an early age. The two remaining areas are part of the same set of recommendations.

Role of local authorities and municipalities

Local authorities are asked to inform residents about evacuation and emergency plans. During extended power cuts, severe weather or technological incidents, household supplies can ease pressure on emergency services. That allows authorities and municipalities to focus their efforts on the most vulnerable groups.

Background to the initiative

The new guidelines build on a Commission recommendation on operational continuity and stress tests, which aims to strengthen the resilience of national civil protection contact points across Europe. The Commission also announced plans for an annual EU Preparedness Day, with the first event scheduled for October 2027. Together, the measures put the EU's Preparedness Union strategy into practice, according to the Commission's announcement.