A gathering of 150 citizens representing all European Union member states convened from April 24 to 26 for the second session of the European Citizens’ Panel on Preparedness. This assembly aims to generate concrete strategies to enhance the EU’s capacity to manage future crises, ensuring that resulting actions are inclusive and directly responsive to the needs of its citizens. The discussions are designed to deepen the priorities identified during previous sessions, focusing on several key areas.
These include boosting citizen engagement, strengthening education and solidarity, promoting inclusion, maintaining the integrity of communication by combating misinformation, and refining overall crisis management protocols across Europe. Four Bulgarian participants are among the attendees, representing Sofia, Burgas, Isperih, and Reberkovo. Antoaneta Petkova, one of the Bulgarian representatives from Reberkovo, noted that the group, which includes members from Germany, Italy, and Czechia, plans to continue advocating for specific proposals.
She highlighted the necessity of introducing comprehensive educational training—both theoretical and practical—on crisis response for people of all ages. Furthermore, the panel is set to discuss four additional key concepts related to disaster and crisis response. The overall goal of the panel is to synthesize diverse citizen input into actionable policy recommendations.
By bringing together perspectives from across the EU, the initiative seeks to build a robust, citizen-centered framework for collective preparedness, thereby strengthening the resilience of the entire bloc against unforeseen shocks. The proceedings are being monitored live via the panel’s official website.
Topics: #citizens #preparedness #bulgarians
