European Commission announces strategic direction for European security and preparedness

On October 1, 2026, European Commissioner Lahbib delivered a speech at the NATO Council, stating that hybrid threats such as drone incursions, cyberattacks on hospitals, and election disinformation are occurring on European soil, and that the EU will launch a European security strategy and a civil protection preparedness strategy. She said a comprehensive risk and threat assessment will be published later this year, for the first time bringing security threats, natural disasters, technological risks, and cross-border health threats into a single picture, and introducing EU minimum preparedness requirements; in November, a public-private preparedness working group will also be launched at the Civil Protection Forum.