DG-network: European cooperation in preparedness and resilience in the face of crises
The decision to hold the Network’s meetings in the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union highlights the importance of strengthening ties between the EU and national crisis structures to support our joint crisis management efforts.
23 EU Member States, as well as Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Moldova, and various European institutions and organizations were present. Together, participants discussed topics such as strategic foresight and anticipation, the Union’s Preparedness Strategy, consular crisis management, public-private partnerships, and large-scale exercises. The presence of a large number of Member States once again demonstrates the willingness to cooperate more closely to strengthen crisis management at the European level.
“When a crisis occurs, we may have great technical solutions and well-established processes, but in the end, it is people who will make the difference: this is the power of the network.” — Jack Hamande, Director-General of the National Crisis CenterRisk analysis and strategic foresight
The day began with a focus on risk analysis and strategic foresight. Denmark notably presented its national risk analysis and the methodology used to carry it out.
International organizations were also present. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presented its recent report entitled Managing Emerging Critical Risks, and led a discussion on how foresight information and risk data can be more systematically integrated into crisis management practices, and how the EU can collectively move toward a more agile and forward-looking crisis management capacity.
The Danish Presidency led a discussion on how enhanced risk and threat assessments at the EU level can support Member States’ preparedness. The Commission then presented an update on the progress of various actions identified in the Union’s Preparedness Strategy, focusing in particular on clarifying its intentions regarding the establishment of a European crisis coordination hub and its articulation with existing structures and mechanisms.
Sharing experience and best practices
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to sharing experience and best practices.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented to the Network another perspective on crisis management, namely consular crisis management.
Next, the multinational company DHL spoke about cooperation between the public and private sectors. Such collaborations are proving increasingly useful, and the importance of developing them is also emphasized in the Union’s Preparedness Strategy.
Moldova, which recently established a crisis centre, was invited by the Network to present its new crisis management structures.
Finally, Romania, which conducted a large-scale exercise in June 2025 called SEISM25, shared its conclusions regarding the challenges of organizing such a large-scale exercise and the lessons learned.
The meeting was an excellent opportunity to discover best practices, highlight successes, and reflect together on the added value of European cooperation in preparedness and resilience in the face of crises.
DG-network
The Network of Directors-General of European Crisis Centres was created in 2018 on the initiative of the Belgian National Crisis Centre and is supported by the Benelux General Secretariat. It aims to develop coordination between national crisis management authorities, be mutually informed about the challenges faced by different crisis centres, share existing expertise and experiences while supporting each other in implementing common solutions at the national level.
