According to reports, the EU’s new stockpiling strategy aims to prepare for potential warfare, climate-related disasters, and increasing hybrid and cyber threats.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that the EU is planning to create an emergency reserve of essential supplies in response to growing threats. The report cites a draft strategy from the European Commission expected to be officially released next week.
The document reportedly argues for a new mechanism to improve the preparedness of EU member states for global risks.
“The EU is facing an increasingly complex and worsening risk environment characterized by rising geopolitical tensions, including conflict, the growing effects of climate change, environmental damage, and hybrid and cyber threats,” the draft states. It suggests coordinated backup stockpiles of critical goods such as food, medications, nuclear fuel, rare earth minerals, permanent magnets, and even cable repair components “to ensure rapid recovery from energy or fiber optic cable disruptions.”
Brussels reportedly intends to establish a “stockpiling network” to enhance coordination among EU countries, noting a “limited common understanding of which essential goods are required for crisis preparedness.”
The plan would also involve creating updated lists of essential supplies specific to each region and type of crisis. Member states are encouraged to invest in vital stockpiles and involve the private sector through incentives like tax credits. The draft also states that the EU will collaborate with NATO and other allies on “shared warehousing” and resource management, as well as dual-use infrastructure.
Funding for the initiative will reportedly be addressed in proposals for the EU’s new multiannual budget, which is expected later this month. The European Commission has not yet responded to media inquiries regarding the reported initiative.
This strategy emerges amidst broader EU concerns about security. Brussels has been advocating for increased military spending for months, citing the perceived threat of Russian aggression – a claim that Moscow has consistently refuted as unfounded. Earlier this year, EU leaders approved the ReArm Europe initiative, allocating up to €800 billion ($840 billion) to double defense spending from 2024 levels. Last month, European NATO members also agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, deeming it necessary to counter the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.”
Russia has denied any plans to attack the West, dismissing such claims as “nonsense” and accusing the EU of inciting fear to justify substantial arms expenditures. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously described the bloc’s buildup as “rabid,” while former President Dmitry Medvedev accused the EU of transforming into “a politicized, globalist, and fiercely Russophobic organization” that poses “a threat” to Russia.
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