Breakfast Seminar in Brussels: What role should the EU play in the field of civil preparedness?

The seminar will focus on what role the EU can and should play within the field of civil preparedness. Civil or crisis preparedness refers to the measures taken in peacetime to ensure that a society can act in a crisis situation, handling everything from climate-related crises such as fires and floods to cyber threats, global pandemics and, ultimately, war.

“The development of civil preparedness and protection collaboration on an EU level is important for both Sweden and Finland. Our very close bilateral collaboration can gain support from both resources and political EU influence. In order to create minimal vulnerability within areas such as material handling, transport and logistics, efforts are required on several levels: nationally, bilaterally and on a Nordic and EU level”, says the CEO of Hanaholmen, Gunvor Kronman.

EU leaders have repeatedly stressed the importance of a coordinated approach to preparedness and crisis response of the European Union as well as enhancing the EU`s resilience. The question is how Finland and Sweden with their long tradition of close cooperation within civil defense can inspire the rest of the EU.

“Nato´s deputy assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning, Jörg See, has said that Finland and Sweden can take on a leading role in civil preparedness within Nato, since the countries are so well organized in this field. I am quite convinced that the EU can be inspired by the Finnish-Swedish crisis preparedness cooperation such as the cross-sectoral Hanaholmen-initiative, but I am equally convinced that we also have a lot to learn from other EU-countries”, Gunvor Kronman says.

The breakfast seminar will be held in English.

Time: The seminar will take place on Friday, 9 February 2024, at 8.30-11.00.

Place: Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU, Avenue de Cortenbergh 80, 1000 Brussels

Program: www.hanaholmen.fi/event/eu-crisis-preparedness-and-response

The Hanaholmen Initiative: www.hanaholmen.fi/en/culturalcentre/the-hanaholmen-initiative/

Register by sending an email to: victor.andersson(at)hanaholmen.fi, phone: +358 (0)50 358 1271