No more reliance on the state! EU orders Poles to make supplies for 72 hours

The European Commission has taken an unprecedented decision that forever changes the approach to civilian safety in Europe. Under the fresh strategy “The Union of Preparedness”, all 450 million citizens of the Community, including Poles, were straight liable for preparing for crisis and war scenarios. This is the definitive end to the model in which the state institutions were full liable for security. Brussels clearly communicates: in the face of expanding military, hybrid and climate threats, everyone must be prepared to last for at least 3 days on their own.

The central pillar of this revolutionary doctrine is the request that Every household in the European Union created and maintained emergency supplies. They are meant to let minimum endurance 72 hours in full isolation, without access to electricity, moving water or operating shops. This period has been considered by experts to be a critical time which emergency services and troops request to organise effective assistance in the event of a major crisis. The initiative is simply a direct consequence to conclusions from the COVID-19 pandemic, wars in Ukraine and increasingly frequent natural disasters.

What must be included in the home endurance kit?

The guidelines of the European Commission are very circumstantial and aim to guarantee basic life needs in an emergency. The assembly of these stocks is no longer a suggestion, but an component of the fresh European safety policy. The most crucial thing is to defend water and food, which do not require peculiar retention or cooking conditions.

These are the key elements that must be included in each home emergency kit:

• Drinking water: Absolute minimum three litres per individual per day. This means that a household of 4 must have at least 36 litres of bottled water for crisis purposes.
• Long-term food: Products that do not perish and supply quite a few energy should be collected. These include: canned meat and vegetablesrice, pasta, groats, dried beans, lentils, energy bars, biscuits and lyophilised foods.
• First aid kit: It should contain not only standard dressings, but besides a supply of medicines taken permanently by the household, strong painkillers and disinfectants.
• Information and light sources: The key is battery radio (or crank), which will let emergency messages to be received erstwhile the net and mobile networks are no longer operational. Flashlights, candles and a large supply of batteries are besides needed.
• Other essential items: It is worth preparing powerbanks, matches or lighters, multi-purpose tools, garbage bags and individual hygiene products specified as wet wipes.

The alarming Eurobarometer data shows that nearly half of the EU population would be in a dramatic situation after 3 days of cut-off. Urban agglomerations are peculiarly vulnerable, where logistics systems operate in a "exactly timely" model and are highly susceptible to interference.

Why has the European Union taken specified extremist steps?

The decision to introduce the Union of Preparedness strategy is not accidental. This is the consequence of an analysis of a number of crises that have shaken the continent in fresh years and exposed the weaknesses of the existing safety systems. European planners have come to the conclusion that the conventional approach is inadequate to the scale of modern, multidimensional threats.

The main impulse was Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine of February 24, 2022. This war has made European leaders aware that peace is not given erstwhile and for all, and that large-scale armed conflict is simply a real scenario. The brutality of warfare and its consequences for civilians have become the most crucial argument for building social resilience.

Another origin was the bitter lessons with COVID-19 pandemicwhich revealed the catastrophic fragility of global supply chains. The abrupt shortages of masks, respirators and even basic food products have shown how rapidly modern societies can be deprived of key resources. Just as crucial extreme weather phenomena – catastrophic floods and fires regularly paralyze full regions, proving that climate change is already a real threat to infrastructure. The Union must besides be ready for hybrid attacks, specified as cyber attacks on critical infrastructure (power plants, waterworks) and sabotage acts aimed at destabilising countries from within.

“The Union of Preparedness” is not just wrestling. What else will change?

Individual preparation of citizens is only 1 component of a comprehensive reform. The Union of Preparedness strategy implies fundamental changes in many areas of the functioning of the associate States to make a comprehensive defence system.

One of the key initiatives is to introduce Emergency preparedness education for compulsory curricula in all schools. Students from an early age will learn how to respond to alarms, how to give first aid and how to support weaker members of the community. The aim is to rise generations who, in emergency situations, stay calm and act rationally.

The strategy besides foresees gigantic investments in dual-use infrastructure. fresh roads, railway lines and bridges will be designed not only for trade but besides for the fast evacuation of the population and the smooth spread of NATO troops. Communication systems will be strengthened to be resistant to sabotage and cyber attacks. Physical protection of critical infrastructure facilities specified as power plants, hospitals and sewage treatment plants will besides be a priority.

The Union as a full has become a model Germanywhich have updated their Framework Directive for full Defence. This paper precisely defines the tasks of administrations, companies and citizens in the event of war. another countries, including Poland, have been advised to adapt their plans to new, much higher standards.

A fresh reality for Poles. What are the applicable consequences?

Implementation of the “Union of Preparedness” strategy means a fundamental change of mentality for Poles. We must decision distant from the belief that in any crisis situation, the state will supply us with full protection and support. Responsibility for individual and household safety has been formally transferred to individual level. It's pro-active opposition building, not passive waiting for help.

Of course, it gives emergence to questions and controversy. any experts wonder if the recommended 72 hours are enough in the event of serious harm to the infrastructure. There are besides concerns about the financial burden on households with lower incomes, for which the completion of the full endurance kit can be a considerable expense.

Despite these debates, European leaders and experts agree: the continent faces unprecedented accumulation of threats. The aim of the fresh strategy is not to spread panic, but to build a conscious, prepared and resilient society. A well-informed and prepared citizen is the top value for national security. The coming months will show how Poland will implement EU recommendations and how citizens will find themselves in this fresh reality, in which crisis preparedness becomes part of everyday life.