News item | 22-05-2025 | 12:00
In Brussels today, on the initiative of the Netherlands, eight countries have made a joint start with a European resilience coalition. Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden and the Netherlands come as a coalition today with a joint explanation in which they emphasize the urgency of a resilient European Union. In it, the coalition states that the European Union and its Member States must take additional measures to strengthen their resilience and commit the ministers, responsible for civilian resilience, to take action together.
Minister Van Weel:
“In the Netherlands we are already working hard with resilience, but it is important that we do not limit ourselves to the land borders. In addition, we can learn a lot from the countries around us that are already further with this. That is why today we are starting today with countries from different parts of Europe with a ministerial coalition to reinforce our resilience together, for example by looking together to be a resilient and ensures that Europe is in favor of Ukrainian, among other things. Disruptions of society by different types of crises. “
The responsibility for resilience lies primarily with the Member States themselves. But crises do not comply with limits and that is why coordinated European cooperation is necessary, also with the European Commission. In this coalition, the countries will work closely together to strengthen civil preparedness and resilience in the individual countries and the EU as a whole, based on a joint agenda with concrete actions.
Joint explanation
The coalition focuses on five priorities. First of all, it is important that society is resilient and the citizens prepare themselves for possible crises. That is why it is focused on the consciousness of residents of the consequences of possible crises and to increase their self -reliance. Secondly, we continue to work on strengthening the critical infrastructure, such as submarine cables and energy facilities. In addition, the countries want to work on a joint threat assessment, so that we prepare the same threats together in Europe.
The aim is to make existing EU structures for crisis management more effective, such as the European Coordination Center for Emergency Aid, so that a crisis can be responded quickly and coordinated. Finally, the countries want to look at improving civil military cooperation, including cooperation between the EU and NATO, whereby the commitment to strengthening military resilience must go hand in hand with civil resilience.