On 22 January, Adam Banaszak, European Alliance Member and Rapporteur on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), took part in a meeting of the European Parliament Intergroup, contributing to the exchange on the revision of the UCPM and Health Emergency Response (HER). During the discussion, he presented the viewpoint of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) Commission for Natural Resources (NAT). His message was clear: crises are no longer exceptional events—they are Europe's operating environment. Today's threats are multidimensional, cross-border and increasingly complex. As a result, Europe's protective shield must be anticipatory, integrated and visible where citizens encounter Europe first: in local and regional level. Preparedness and response both begin on the ground. While welcoming the increased ambition of the revised Union Mechanism, the CoR is already outlining targeted improvements to ensure it works where it matters most—locally. The focus is on prevention first, multilevel governance by design, funding that reaches local and regional authorities, and interoperability across sectors.
At the Committee of the Regions, work on the opinion is still at an early stage. An initial exchange of views will take place at the NAT Commission meeting on 4 February, followed by the adoption of the draft opinion on 21 April. The final text is expected to be adopted at the CoR Plenary Session on 1–2 July.