STRENGTHENING EUROPE’S CIVIL AND MILITARY PREPAREDNESS: INSIGHTS FROM THE NIINISTÖ REPORT
Strengthening Europe’s preparedness is a matter of urgency. Europe is facing a new reality, marked by increased risk and deep uncertainty. Since the start of this decade, the EU has experienced the most severe pandemic in a century, the bloodiest war on European soil since the Second World War, and the hottest year in recorded history.
Against this backdrop, Sauli Niinistö - former President of the Republic of Finland and Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission - was tasked by President von der Leyen, together with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), to prepare a report assessing the complex challenges that the EU and its Member States face and to develop recommendations on how to enhance the EU’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness for future crises.
The report, report underlines the need for an ambitious new approach to our preparedness and readiness. To this end, it presents around 80 recommendations for both short-term and medium to long-term actions.
Key to the report’s findings is the call for a more cohesive approach to crisis readiness. Niinistö identifies critical areas where rapid mobilization and strengthened cross-border cooperation could significantly bolster Europe’s resilience to future crises. This includes enhancing the EU’s ability to respond to both natural and man-made threats, fostering innovation in crisis management, and prioritizing investments in cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and emergency response capabilities.
For the logistics and freight forwarding sectors, which play a vital role in ensuring the continuity of supply chains across Europe, these recommendations resonate deeply. The sector has felt the impact of geopolitical tensions, climate events, and public health emergencies firsthand. Enhancing logistics resilience and integrating preparedness measures into supply chain strategies will be essential to safeguarding the movement of goods and ensuring that Europe remains secure and operational during times of crisis.