EU in Emergencies

Brussels is getting ready for tomorrow - and so are its most iconic little residents! 🐶🧒👧   From Zinneke Pis to Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis, our civil protection vests are popping up across the city to spread one important message: Preparing today, ready for tomorrow.   Tomorrow, the 9th European Civil Protection Forum kicks off at Tour & Taxis, bringing together Europe’s civil protection community to exchange knowledge, strengthen cooperation and prepare for the challenges ahead.   Because preparedness starts today - and it takes all of us. 🇪🇺   Follow the event live here: https://lnkd.in/eeDZW5tv    #EUCivilProtection #CPF2026    ©️ European Union, 2026 

Today is World Cities Day. Cities are now home to 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion population, and knowing where and how they grow is key to protecting them when disasters strike. According to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects 2025, Jakarta is now the world’s most populous city, with nearly 42 million residents. These estimates are based on the Global Human Settlement Layer of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, which combines satellite imagery with census data to map built-up areas and population worldwide, with data going back to 1975. This information helps authorities estimate how many people and buildings are exposed to floods, earthquakes, or other hazards, and plan for prevention and response. Explore the data: https://lnkd.in/dvY-GkWf #CopernicusEmergency #WorldCitiesDay

The latest Special Eurobarometer on EU Civil Protection is here! 🇪🇺   Eurobarometer surveys measure public opinion across the EU, helping us understand what Europeans think about key issues and EU policies.   💡 More than 9 in 10 Europeans think it is important that the EU helps coordinate the response to disasters - both within the EU and in other countries.   When disasters strike, cooperation and solidarity matter. These results highlight the importance Europeans place on working together to respond to crises that know no borders. 🤝   #EUCivilProtection #EUsolidarity   ©️ European Union, 2026

“Understanding climate risks means understanding their impact on human health. These impacts must be fully integrated into climate risk assessments to strengthen preparedness and protect people.” — Dr. Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of DG HERA. Heatwaves and extreme weather events can have serious consequences for human health, from increased illness to changing risks from infectious diseases. As climate risks intensify, their implications for public health must be better understood and systematically assessed. Through DG HERA, the European Commission is strengthening preparedness by supporting: 🔹20€ million for the development of new dengue treatments; 🔹11.6€ million to improve vector surveillance and control; 🔹10€ million for faster, more accurate diagnostic tests. Read more in Open Access Government: “Climate change and disease risk: How the EU is responding”, by Florika Fink-Hooijer, p. 54-55. 👉 https://lnkd.in/emURHsdG #ClimateChange #HealthPreparedness

A wildfire is closing in. Mobile networks are down. How do you still reach the people in its path? 🛰️ Space holds part of the answer. If you’re joining the 9th European Civil Protection Forum in Brussels on 3-4 November, come and see it for yourself. At the joint JRC-DEFIS booth, you’ll find out how science and #EUSpace services can support every phase of a disaster in the EU and beyond. ▶️ EU Science, Research and Innovation staff will show how Copernicus Emergency, the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC), and the EU Crisis Lab support civil protection authorities with early warning, monitoring, and on-demand mapping. ▶️ EU Space will show how Galileo’s upcoming Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) and IRIS², the EU’s future secure connectivity constellation, will make crisis management more effective and efficient. With the team of #SUNSHINE, a project coordinated by DG DEFIS, you can then put this into practice: step into the shoes of a crisis team facing multiple disasters in a fictional country, and discover at each step which EU Space services can help. Want to go deeper? Join the workshop “From risk assessment to preparedness: connecting perspectives” on 3 November, 16:30 to 18:00. It’s open to all participants, and no sign-up is needed. Not at the Forum this time? Follow #CPForum2026 for highlights and watch the livestream for selected sessions. More information at: https://lnkd.in/d-Tcv2pF #CopernicusEmergency

Developing medical countermeasures, such as vaccines and treatments, takes time and significant investment. For innovative companies, securing the funding needed to advance research and move these products through clinical development can be a major challenge. This is where #HERAInvest comes in. Through the initiative, the European Commission works with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to provide venture loans to companies developing medical countermeasures against priority health threats, including pandemics, antimicrobial resistance and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks. Among the companies backed by HERA Invest are Fabentech, SNIPR - A CRISPR Company and Leyden Labs, each developing innovative solutions to address different health threats. The aim is to help promising innovations progress and encourage further private investment in solutions that Europe may need to respond to future health emergencies. 🏭 Are you working on medical countermeasures or interested in opportunities for industry in this field? Join us at the #HERAIndustryDays2026 to learn more about EU support for the development and availability of medical countermeasures. 📅 23–24 November 2026 📍 The EGG, Brussels 👉 https://lnkd.in/eu4Sz9Ub Music by Robert Walgraffe

In Khartoum, Sudan, explosive remnants of war threaten lives and hinder recovery. We are supporting United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in deploying a dedicated 17-member clearance team to remove deadly hazards and make communities safer. The team includes Sudan’s first female deminer, marking an important milestone for women’s participation in mine action.   Clearing explosive remnants of war paves the way for early recovery and restores access to essential services. Alongside clearance operations, the EU supports explosive ordnance risk education for children, equipping them with practical safety knowledge, raising awareness of the dangers, and promoting safer behaviours to reduce risks. This is #EUForeignPolicy in action!

Would you like to see how Ethiopian youth is engaging with the transitional justice process? Through a moot court simulation, law students from across Ethiopia are exploring complex questions of justice, accountability and reconciliation in a format that encourages critical thinking, dialogue and active civic engagement. With the support of the EU, youth can contribute to shaping conversations around Ethiopia’s transitional justice process. Watch the video and discover how the next generation of Ethiopians is contributing to the Transitional Justice process in their country. This is #EUForeignPolicy in action!

Next week, Brussels hosts the 9th European Civil Protection Forum - two days of discussions on the future of European preparedness, resilience and cross-border cooperation. Whether you’re joining in person or following the live stream, hope to see you there! Find out more 👇 #CPForum2026 #EUCivilProtection

🇪🇺🇨🇦 Stronger together: EU and Canada step up on health emergency preparedness Proud to support the first-ever EU-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on health emergencies and medical countermeasures (MCM), between Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and Canada's Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly, who also oversees Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC). This dialogue and its concrete follow-up are among the deliverables Leaders are expected to endorse at the upcoming EU-Canada Summit: ✅ Joint analysis of industrial pipelines and #supply #chain vulnerabilities & dependencies ahead of MCM stress testing, ✅ Coordinated investment in #biodefence and #dual-use (incl. #CBRN) MCMs, a pioneering first with a third-country partner, and a fellow #NATO member ✅ Regular senior leadership dialogues ✅ Canada's potential participation in the BE READY pandemic preparedness partnership under #HorizonEurope DG #HERA and #HERC will deliver on these priorities under the administrative agreement signed in June 2025, the foundation for a deeper, forward-looking partnership. In today's geopolitical reality, close cooperation built on trust and friendship is a source of strength, reliability and lasting resilience. Thrilled to see Commissioner Hadja Lahbib driving this broader EU-Canada preparedness and security agenda, one of key mutual interest. #HealthEmergencies #AllianceForTheFuture #Security #Preparedness #MCM