On 30 October 2026 the European Commission published guidance on how countries should help every household cope on its own for at least 72 hours. The document, SWD(2026) 826, is written for civil protection authorities rather than the public, but it says a lot about what households are expected to do. Here is what matters for you.
72 hours is a minimum, not a deadline
The guidance calls 72 hours an internationally recognised minimum. In the first three days of a large crisis, emergency services are stretched and logistics take time to scale up, so help goes to the people in the greatest danger first. If most households can manage on their own, more help reaches those who can't.
It is also clear about what 72 hours is not. It is not a promise that help arrives on the fourth day. No authority can predict how long a crisis will last, which is why some countries ask for a week or more. Our post on 72 hours, 7 days or 14 days compares them.
The basic needs to cover
The Commission does not publish its own shopping list. It names the needs that every household should be able to meet without help, building on the "six basics" (water, food, warmth, hygiene, medicine, information and communication) from the EU's preparEU pilot project:
| Need | What the guidance says |
|---|---|
| Food | Keeps at room temperature, needs no heating and little or no water, and can be eaten with little or no preparation |
| Water | Stored for drinking, basic cooking and hygiene |
| Heat and light | An alternative way to heat or cool your home, and lighting |
| Health | Medicines and first-aid equipment |
| Hygiene and toilet | Personal hygiene supplies, a plan for the toilet and for waste |
| Information | A battery-powered radio and charged power banks |
| Payments | Cash in small notes and coins, in case card payments fail |
The guidance also mentions an offline digital payment method "where available", pointing to the offline digital euro planned for the future. For now, that means cash. See how much cash to keep at home.
Every one of these needs is covered by the national guides we compiled, and our checklist turns them into quantities for your household.
Home supplies and a grab bag are two different things
The guidance asks authorities to separate two ideas that are often mixed up: the supplies you keep to stay at home, and the bag you take if you have to leave quickly. It even suggests avoiding the term "emergency kit" for home supplies, because it makes people think of a single bag. You need both. Our grab bag checklist covers the second.
Skills count as much as supplies
A large part of the document is about things you can't buy. It lists four parts of being ready:
- Knowledge: understand what you'd need in a crisis, learn the risks where you live, and know where to find reliable information, so rumours and disinformation don't steer you.
- Practical skills: practise cooking without electricity, lighting candles safely, storing water and using an alternative heater. Learn first aid, and psychological first aid too.
- Confidence: small, regular actions and simple checklists make it easier to stay calm under pressure.
- Community: know who could help you and whom you could help. The guidance suggests finding a "preparedness buddy".
A household plan
The guidance recommends a written household plan that includes:
- Contact details for the key people, on paper
- A meeting point in case you can't reach each other
- The nearest shelter or other safe place
It suggests making the plan together, children included, and adapting it to everyone's needs. Belgium's National Crisis Centre offers a printable template. Our guide to a family emergency plan takes you through it in an evening.
If you need extra support
People with disabilities face greater risks in a crisis. The guidance asks for tailored advice and lists what to add: extra medication, back-up power for assistive and medical devices, communication aids, and a plan for replacing care or support that may stop. Our post on preparing older relatives covers much of this.
The European Citizens' Panel on Preparedness, 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 member states, asked for help for households that can't afford to prepare. The Commission will study preparedness among low-income households, with results expected in 2027.
Travelling
Tourists and business travellers are covered too. Away from home you don't know the local risks, you don't have your supplies, and warnings may come in another language. Keep emergency alerts switched on on your phone, remember that 112 works everywhere in the EU, and carry your medication, a charged power bank and some cash.
Prepared, not afraid
The Commission is careful about tone. It asks authorities to present preparedness as a normal precaution, not a reaction to a specific threat, and to frame it as a shared effort: authorities invest in warning systems, infrastructure and response, and households cover the first days. It also warns against fear-based selling and says no product or brand should be implied to be officially endorsed.
We agree. You don't need to buy a ready-made kit. Start with what you already have, add a little each time you shop, and share the expensive items with neighbours. Our post on an emergency kit on a budget shows how far you can get for little money.
What comes next
The Commission plans to propose an annual EU Preparedness Day, and recommends that each country regularly survey how prepared its households are and adjust its advice to what it finds. The full document is available from the UCPM Knowledge Network.
To check where your household stands today, use our checklist.