Opening remarks by Commissioner Lenarčič for CBRN Informal Ministerial

Ladies and gentlemen,

Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Mr. Klymenko,

We are facing a potentially disastrous situation at the Zaporizhzia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. It is easy to imagine where a fragile situation like this could lead – and the disastrous consequences it would have for all of us.

Zaporizhzhia is by no means the only plant that we need to worry about. Ukraine hosts other plants, all of which have been affected by the war.

When delicate situations like this go wrong, all of Europe is affected. As we saw in 1986. When radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl meltdown spread over 40% of Europe and wide parts of Asia.

Sweden was the first to alert the world of the catastrophe at Chernobyl. Today, you are using the Council presidency to highlight the issue of whole-of-society resilience in Europe. As we consider these recent events there is much we can learn from your actions.

We must act as one to protect everyone.

CBRN disasters and other types of CBRN dangers are no longer consigned to our collective past. As outlined in a letter to me from the Baltic ministers, if we don't act together now then they could also be part of our immediate future.

Russia's criminal war of aggression against Ukraine presents Europe with the most severe security situation since 1945. It is a complex war that brings complex risks.

Europe was there for Ukraine when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. We are doing all we can to support the people of Ukraine – and to protect people in the case of CBRN disaster. We are still there today. And we will be there for as long as it takes.

Following the invasion, we immediately activated the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The Union's tool for swift emergency response. Co-ordinating vital aid and assistance for Ukraine supplied by the Mechanism's members.

This operation has been running in Ukraine now for almost a year and a half – by far the Mechanism's longest and most complex operation. Showing our commitment to the people of Ukraine.

In this time, we have not only delivered nearly 90,000 tonnes of assistance. We are developing proactive, innovative ways to help Ukrainians and bolster their resilience to potential CBRN disaster.

From providing related items like chemical detectors, radiometers and protection suits to Ukrainian authorities.

I am pleased to announce that I have authorised this morning a significant deployment of medical countermeasures and CBRN decontamination supplies, worth nearly 3 million euro, from the rescEU reserves to further strengthen Ukraine's preparedness to respond to CBRN incidents.

This comes on top of earlier rescEU CBRN deployments of CBRN countermeasures and response equipment from rescEU reserves. Thus, bringing the total financial value of our CBRN-related rescEU assistance to 56 million euro.

It is crucial that EU and participating states maintain their support for Ukraine. Both in its fight for freedom and to protect people from potential CBRN disaster.

However, we know this is not enough to prepare ourselves against present threats across Europe. Not just nuclear, but also chemical, biological and radiological. As shown in the ERCC's gap analysis in April.

There is much we still must do to strengthen whole-of-society resilience and preparedness across Europe.

The EU has been working hard to achieve this. We are building up new CBRN capacities through rescEU reserves – including decontamination equipment and teams, detection teams and strategic reserves. But these will not be in place until next year at the earliest.

Clearly Europe must go further. And now. Because the risk that we are talking about today is unequivocal and present.

We must explore if additional CBRN capacities could be put forward as candidate capacities for inclusion in the European Civil Protection Pool. Such as detection and sampling teams and decontamination teams.

And identify CBRN capacities currently outside the Pool that could be deployed to Ukraine and other affected countries.

But the EU cannot build this collective resilience alone. Everything deployed through the Mechanism is done so on a voluntary basis. Meaning we must work with you, Member States, to explore how we can move capacities where and when they are needed most.

We must build national and Union-level CBRN capacities, including detection, sampling and decontamination teams.

We must help in the effective sourcing and funding of operational response capacities.

And we must engage with Member and Participating States on crisis communication. To ensure that we have a coherent and aligned approach when it matters most.

A CBRN emergency in Ukraine could have potentially disastrous cross-sectoral and cross-border impacts. Creating internal refugees. Food and water contamination. Shortages of supplies. And we cannot rule out such an incident happening within the EU.

This means we must all work together to make sure a disaster does not happen. Acting across all sectors to protect Europeans.

The invasion of Ukraine has only made this threat more acute and visible. Yet as you know, we have jointly been strengthening Europe's overall resilience through the five European Disaster Resilience Goals for several years now.

These not only strengthen Europe's anticipation and protection from natural emergencies – they strengthen our preparation for man-made CBRN disasters.

I am encouraged by seeing so many of you here today. Together, we must take concrete steps towards a safer European future.

And we must make further efforts to support Ukraine in building up their own CBRN capacities.

We are at a crucial crossroads for Europe's future. We must decide now how we can best prepare for the growing threat of another CBRN crisis.

We owe it to Europeans both present and future. We must not let them down.

I look forward to the discussion.