Latest news with #Lahbib
Local France
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Local France
EU unveils 'stockpiling strategy' to prepare for war
The "stockpiling strategy" from Brussels comes as NATO warns that Russia -- currently waging war on EU neighbour Ukraine -- could be ready to attack the alliance within five years. The 27-nation bloc has launched a broad readiness push to bolster its militaries and try to ensure it can defend itself by 2030. "The goal is very simple to make sure that essential supplies that keep our societies running, especially the ones that save lives, are always available," EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said. "The more we prepare, the less we panic." The EU says the new stockpiling plan is aimed at securing the continuity of key goods during a raft of crises "such as major energy blackouts, natural disasters, conflicts or pandemics." It involves establishing a network between countries to better coordinate stocks, identifying gaps and bolstering "EU-level stockpiles". READ ALSO: EU tells citizens to stockpile three days of supplies in case of attack or disaster The levels of crisis preparedness among EU citizens vary markedly from country to country. Member states, such as Finland, living under Moscow's shadow on the EU's eastern border, have long worked on having society ready for potential conflict. "Of course, if you have a 1,000 kilometres border with Russia, you will feel threatened potentially by a war," Lahbib said. Advertisement "But it is normal, that in Spain, they feel that wildfires are more likely to happen. There is no one size fits all." Lahbib insisted that whatever the cause of a crisis -- be it conflict or natural disasters -- the impact on citizens such as energy blackouts can be similar. "People are without energy, and that's why we need to stockpile items everywhere in the European Union," she said. In March, as part of its efforts, the EU advised every household to have a three-day survival kit including water, food and flashlights ready in case of emergencies.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
EU aims to stockpile critical medical supplies for future crises
Brussels: The European Union aims to stockpile critical medical equipment and vaccines in case of future health crises and to set up a network to ease coordination among EU countries, European crisis chief Hadja Lahbib said on Wednesday. The 27-country bloc is scarred by the memory of the COVID-19 pandemic when it faced a shortage of vaccines and protective masks. "We need a long-term strategy to make sure that essential supplies that keep society running are always available," European Commissioner Lahbib told a news conference. Under the EU Stockpiling and Medical Countermeasures Strategies, the EU will draw up a priority list of medical equipment to be stockpiled in Europe, including vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment. The EU will double investments in the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, known as HERA for short, to 200 million euros ($234 million) by 2027, Lahbib said. The scheme funds research and development projects. She said the European Commission will also launch a Medical Countermeasures Accelerator to serve as a one-stop shop to help companies access financing to develop health technologies. A European and Global Wastewater Sentinel System will be set up to collect samples from European airports to detect disease hotspots and monitor in real time the evolution of outbreaks. Under a measure called the Medifence initiative, the EU will collaborate with NATO's Joint Health group to draw up a list of dual-use medical countermeasures - usable for both military and civilian purposes - such as antidotes and chemical protections. As part of the Stockpiling Strategy, the EU will develop a Stockpiling Network with member states to coordinate their initiatives and avoid duplicate funding. "We know that some countries are stockpiling on their own, but we don't know who has what. The first step is to exchange information," Lahbib said. ($1 = 0.8536 euros)
Local Spain
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
EU unveils 'stockpiling strategy' to prepare for war
The "stockpiling strategy" from Brussels comes as NATO warns that Russia -- currently waging war on EU neighbour Ukraine -- could be ready to attack the alliance within five years. The 27-nation bloc has launched a broad readiness push to bolster its militaries and try to ensure it can defend itself by 2030. "The goal is very simple to make sure that essential supplies that keep our societies running, especially the ones that save lives, are always available," EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said. "The more we prepare, the less we panic." The EU says the new stockpiling plan is aimed at securing the continuity of key goods during a raft of crises "such as major energy blackouts, natural disasters, conflicts or pandemics." It involves establishing a network between countries to better coordinate stocks, identifying gaps and bolstering "EU-level stockpiles". The levels of crisis preparedness among EU citizens vary markedly from country to country. Member states, such as Finland, living under Moscow's shadow on the EU's eastern border, have long worked on having society ready for potential conflict. "Of course, if you have a 1,000 kilometres border with Russia, you will feel threatened potentially by a war," Lahbib said. "But it is normal, that in Spain, they feel that wildfires are more likely to happen. There is no one size fits all." Lahbib insisted that whatever the cause of a crisis -- be it conflict or natural disasters -- the impact on citizens such as energy blackouts can be similar. "People are without energy, and that's why we need to stockpile items everywhere in the European Union," she said. In March, as part of its efforts, the EU advised every household to have a three-day survival kit including water, food and flashlights ready in case of emergencies.
Local Germany
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
EU unveils 'stockpiling strategy' to prepare for war
The "stockpiling strategy" from Brussels comes as NATO warns that Russia -- currently waging war on EU neighbour Ukraine -- could be ready to attack the alliance within five years. The 27-nation bloc has launched a broad readiness push to bolster its militaries and try to ensure it can defend itself by 2030. "The goal is very simple to make sure that essential supplies that keep our societies running, especially the ones that save lives, are always available," EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said. "The more we prepare, the less we panic." The EU says the new stockpiling plan is aimed at securing the continuity of key goods during a raft of crises "such as major energy blackouts, natural disasters, conflicts or pandemics." It involves establishing a network between countries to better coordinate stocks, identifying gaps and bolstering "EU-level stockpiles". READ ALSO: EU tells citizens to stockpile three days of supplies in case of attack or disaster The levels of crisis preparedness among EU citizens vary markedly from country to country. Member states, such as Finland, living under Moscow's shadow on the EU's eastern border, have long worked on having society ready for potential conflict. "Of course, if you have a 1,000 kilometres border with Russia, you will feel threatened potentially by a war," Lahbib said. Advertisement "But it is normal, that in Spain, they feel that wildfires are more likely to happen. There is no one size fits all." Lahbib insisted that whatever the cause of a crisis -- be it conflict or natural disasters -- the impact on citizens such as energy blackouts can be similar. "People are without energy, and that's why we need to stockpile items everywhere in the European Union," she said. In March, as part of its efforts, the EU advised every household to have a three-day survival kit including water, food and flashlights ready in case of emergencies.
Euronews
09-07-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Prepared, not panicked: EU arms itself for the next big health crisis
The EU is embracing a 'better safe than sorry' approach in the post-COVID era, aiming to prevent the next major health crisis by strengthening its preparedness infrastructure. How? By enhancing its ability to respond to a wide range of health threats through improved access to and availability of medical countermeasures at all times. That's the core of the new EU Medical Countermeasures Strategy, unveiled today in Strasbourg. 'Today, we are reinforcing Europe's protective shield in a more unpredictable world. We are making preparedness our new way of life — the European way of life — to keep people safe, healthy and confident about the future,' said EU Commissioner for Preparedness Hadja Lahbib. Medical countermeasures refer to essential tools such as vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment (PPE). 'It's basically an arsenal of products that will allow us to protect citizens in case a health emergency emerges,' explained an EU official. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious limitations in Europe's ability to access and distribute these tools. In response, the new strategy proposes 17 key actions to ensure equitable and timely access across the EU. These actions follow an "end-to-end" approach — from threat surveillance to the final deployment of countermeasures. 'In the next crisis, what we want is to shorten that wait as much as possible,' said Lahbib. What is Europe preparing for? The strategy addresses a broad spectrum of potential health threats, from pandemic-prone respiratory and contact-based viruses such as COVID-19 to zoonoses like avian flu, as well as emerging and re-emerging diseases, such as Ebola. The strategy also mentions the hypothetical "Disease X", a term created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to represent a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could one day cause a serious international epidemic or pandemic. Vector-borne viruses like dengue and West Nile, transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, are also considered, as well as antimicrobial resistance or AMR, often called the "silent pandemic", which causes 35,000 deaths in the EU annually. Last but not least, the strategy includes security-related threats, including chemical attacks, and consequences of armed conflict, though not currently nuclear threats. The challenges ahead There are still significant hurdles. 'Medical countermeasures are especially complex to stockpile. But to stockpile a vaccine or a treatment, it first needs to exist,' Lahbib said. To address this, the Commission plans to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures. A major component of the strategy is the launch of a Medical Countermeasures Acceleration program — a one-stop shop to guide researchers and SMEs from early-stage research through to production. The EU is also rolling out a flexible stockpiling strategy, adapted to specific risks. A recent example: during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Commission authorised the pre-positioning of emergency medical kits, PPE, and portable detectors from the rescEU stockpiles. 'Such stocks can serve as a temporary boost to permanent national capacities, addressing the exceptional challenges posed by such events,' Lahbib noted. Information first Despite these advancements, a major challenge remains: information sharing. 'Every strategy needs a budget and, of course, preparedness doesn't come for free, but the most important thing right now is better coordination,' Lahbib pointed out. Currently, the EU lacks a comprehensive overview of which countries have what supplies, where the gaps are, and what's missing. Member states are often reluctant to share information on strategic stockpiles for national interest reasons. However, improved transparency is vital to avoid duplication and maximise efficiency. As of now, only three countries — Czechia, Finland, and Estonia — are fully engaged in centralised EU stockpiling efforts, leaving the status of the remaining 24 member states unclear.
