Strengthening Europe’s preparedness for crises requires strong local and regional involvement

CoR stresses need for differentiated, place-based approaches to rural development.

At a meeting on 4 February, the Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) set out how Europe could better anticipate, withstand and respond to crises, ranging from geopolitical shocks and supply chain disruptions to health emergencies. In a set of opinions, NAT members underlined the central role of cities and regions in preparedness. They also highlighted the importance of a strong, place-based approach to rural development beyond 2028.

Preparedness for crises

Recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, have exposed serious weaknesses in Europe's ability to secure essential goods, medical countermeasures and services in emergencies. In a draft opinion on the EU Stockpiling Strategy led by János Ádám Karácsony (HU/ECR), vice-president of the County Council of Pest Vármegye, the CoR welcomes the Commission's ambition to strengthen material preparedness, while stressing that security of supply requires a coordinated, place-based approach. Cities and regions are the first to experience the impact of crises and the key actors ensuring continuity of essential services.

The CoR therefore calls for the full involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of preparedness strategies, including cross-border planning and EU stockpiling networks. Strengthening European production capacity and the single market must go hand in hand with subsidiarity and multilevel governance, so that preparedness measures reflect territorial needs and vulnerabilities.

Rapporteur Karacsony declared: "Europe must raise its level of material preparedness. Recent crises have shown that our resilience depends on stronger coordination, transparent governance and robust, interoperable stockpiling systems across all levels of government. Cities and regions - often the first to respond - need predictable funding, clearer roles and modern logistics infrastructure to keep essential goods flowing in times of disruption."

Health security is a core component of Europe's overall resilience. The draft opinion on the Medical Countermeasures Strategy stresses that effective health preparedness requires sustained investment across the entire crisis management cycle, from prevention to recovery. As healthcare systems are decentralised in most Member States, regions and cities play a decisive role in hospital management, logistics, communication and the deployment of medical countermeasures, particularly in vulnerable and cross-border areas.

Led by the President of the Regional Council of Lazio, Antonio Aurigemma (IT/ECR), the opinion underlines the importance of strategic stockpiles, joint procurement and diversified supply chains, while warning that innovation and production cannot be activated only during crises. Continuous investment in research, digital systems, skills and civil-military cooperation is essential to ensure timely and equitable access to life-saving medical countermeasures.

Rapporteur Aurigemma stated: "The succession of recent global crises has demonstrated the urgent need for the EU to reinforce the resilience and strategic responsiveness of its health industrial ecosystem. We should base future preparedness on the lessons drawn from past pandemics and further engage in dialogue on health preparedness and civil-military defence to ensure timely and effective action."

These policy messages resonate strongly with the findings of the Joint Research Centre's (JRC) new report on effective disaster resilience, which builds on the CoR study "Local and regional success stories of investing in disaster resilience" (May 2025). The report clearly shows that integrating local and regional perspectives into the EU's disaster resilience objectives is fundamental, and that effective preparedness and response depend on place-based knowledge, strong local governance and the active involvement of cities and regions in planning and implementation.

The two draft opinions are scheduled to be adopted during the CoR plenary session in May.

The future of rural development

NAT members also adopted a draft opinion on the future of rural development post-2028, led by rapporteur Radim Sršeň (CZ/EPP), member of the Local Assembly of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky. The draft opinion emphasises that rural areas are essential and deserve more political attention. It calls for rural development to be treated as a horizontal priority in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), supported by integrated funding, systematic rural proofing, territorial tagging and a clear definition of rurality.

Rapporteur Sršeň said: "Rural development is crucial within the framework of the next programming period. The world is changing, and the new regulation elaborated by the European Commission is very different from the past - it's a revolution, not an evolution. To face all the challenges rural areas are facing, we need to make the shift from just agriculture to a holistic approach, a multi-policy, multi-fund approach, avoiding the temptation of opposing rural and agricultural policies. And we need tailor-made, place-based solutions, because each region is different: we have islands, we have mountainous areas, we have outermost areas - so we need a recipe to make solutions for each and every region."

The draft opinion is scheduled to be adopted during the CoR's plenary session in May.

Also during the meeting

The NAT commission is preparing a series of opinions on agri-food policies related to the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2027. Members today held a debate on:

• The Common Agricultural Policy, by rapporteur Piotr Calbecki (PL/EPP);

• The Common Fisheries Policy, the European Ocean Pact and the Union's maritime and aquaculture policy, by rapporteur Thibaut Guignard (FR/EPP);

• The Common Market Organisation in agricultural products and the EU School Scheme, by rapporteur Alessio Mammi (IT/PES).

NAT members then held a first exchange of views on the following opinions:

• Strategy for generational renew in agriculture, by rapporteur Emiliano Garcia-Page Sanchez (ES/PES);

• Union Civil Protection Mechanism, by rapporteur Adam Banaszak (PL/EA);

• Consumer Agenda 2025-2030 and action plan on consumers in the Single Market, by rapporteur Adam Ciszkowski (PL/ECR).

Background

Photos and videos from the meeting.