Communication on the EU Stockpiling Strategy

CALL FOR EVIDENCE Ref. Ares(2025)2971798 - 11/04/2025 FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment) TITLE OF THE INITIATIVE EU stockpiling strategy – Communication LEAD DG – RESPONSIBLE UNIT DG ECHO B.2. LIKELY TYPE OF INITIATIVE Commission Communication INDICATIVE TIMING Q2-2025 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check Political context The rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, marked by armed conflict, hybrid threats, trade tensions and risks from climate change and environmental degradation, calls for swift preparedness action. This includes building up stockpiles to increase the EU´s preparedness and resilience. The Preparedness Union strategy announced by President von der Leyen in her political guidelines and presented on 26 March 2025 provides the wider vision for achieving this goal. In his report ‘Safer Together – Strengthening Europe’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness’, former Finnish President Niinistö recommended creating a comprehensive EU stockpiling strategy. Like preparedness in general, stockpiling needs to be based on an all-hazards, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. Problem the initiative aims to tackle There is a need to strengthen access to the supply of critical resources, including raw materials, goods and commodities across the EU in a crisis. Resilient supply chains and strategic reserves are key contributors to preparedness and to ensuring...