Zagreb: The European Commission formally set up the PreparEU Advisory Group by a decision of 30 October 2026, creating a panel of senior experts to review how well Europe is prepared for large-scale emergencies. The group was announced in the State of the Union speech of 16 September 2026 and will advise both Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
The PreparEU Advisory Group has 11 senior experts from Czechia, Romania, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Estonia, France, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Croatia. Scientists will be consulted as well. Its first meeting is planned for early November 2026, and its recommendations are due in spring 2027, which leaves roughly six months for the review.
The group’s task is to examine Member States’ capacities under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU, the reserve of shared assets such as firefighting aircraft. It will also discuss whether the Union should create a European Firefighting Fleet, an idea that has surfaced repeatedly after severe wildfire seasons.
The 2026 season gives the discussion urgency. According to the Commission, more than 686,000 hectares have burnt this year, around 12 million tonnes of crops have been lost, and the Civil Protection Mechanism was activated 10 times for wildfires within Europe and twice outside it. Those numbers show how often countries now call on one another for help.
A core question for the PreparEU Advisory Group is whether national stockpiles and pooled European assets match the risks. Countries differ widely in their ability to respond to floods, fires, health emergencies and industrial accidents, and some rely heavily on neighbours. An independent review could identify gaps that individual governments have little incentive to publicise.
Another is money. Pooled resources such as rescEU are paid for through the EU budget, and any new European Firefighting Fleet would need funding and an agreement on who operates and commands the aircraft. Member States have traditionally guarded control over their emergency services, so the experts will have to balance efficiency against national sovereignty.
The group’s composition is notable for its geographic spread. Countries on the Mediterranean front line of wildfire risk sit alongside Nordic and Baltic states that worry about hybrid threats and extreme weather, and central European members bring experience of floods. That mix should help the PreparEU Advisory Group to weigh competing priorities rather than focus on a single hazard.
The PreparEU Advisory Group has an advisory role only and is non-binding. The Commission can decide what to do with the recommendations when they arrive in spring 2027, and any legislative changes would follow later. Even so, the work of the PreparEU Advisory Group will shape the debate about how Europe prepares for crises that no single country can handle alone, and it will be closely watched by civil protection agencies and fire services across the bloc.
