European Citizens’ Panel on Preparedness
January – June 2026
Convener: European Commission
Within a consortium composed of Nexus, Democracy X Foundation, other organizations and Deliberativa.
The EU is facing increasingly complex and interconnected challenges — from geopolitical tensions and cyber threats to disinformation, climate change, and natural disasters. To strengthen the EU’s ability to anticipate, prevent, and respond to such crises, the European Commission has launched the Preparedness Union strategy. It embodies the Union’s aspiration to ensure protection without inequality, preparedness without exclusion, and coordination without loss of democratic legitimacy.
The European panel, composed of 150 people selected through a stratified lottery across the 27 countries of the European Union, answers the following questions: How can all European citizens be better empowered and prepared for crises? How do we ensure that the actions and initiatives of the Union’s Preparedness Strategy are inclusive, effective and responsive to the needs of all citizens?
Deliberativa in 24 languages during three weekends between March and May 2026. Deliberativa is working specifically on the definition of the framework question, content management and multilingual approach.
March 20-22. Session 1 – Brussels
- Introduction to the subject of preparation.
- Exchange of the first ideas that the participants consider most promising.
- Plenary recordings: 03/20/2026 | 03/22/2026
April 24-26. Session 2 – online
- Balance of session 1 and development of ideas by topic and scope.
- First phase of recommendations development.
May 22-24. Closing session – Brussels
- Drawing conclusions from the discussions and recommendations to the European Commission.
- Explanation of next steps: impact on policy formulation.
Video: What are European Citizens’ Panels?
Images 1 and 2: European Citizens Panels – Panel on Combating Hate in Society (sub-plenary 1) and Panel on Energy Efficiency.
