The Egmont Foresight Network held a session on 27 May 2025, featuring two distinguished speakers:

• Mr Hans Das, Deputy Director-General and Chief Operations Officer at DG ECHO, shared insights into the foresight and anticipation chapter of the recently published Joint Communication on the European Preparedness Union Strategy.
• Ms Leen Depuydt, Acting Director-General of the Belgian National Crisis Centre (NCCN), offered a national perspective on translating the resilience agenda into practice. She outlined how the National Crisis Centre enhances Belgium’s preparedness for a broad range of future challenges.

The communication comes in the aftermath of the Niinistö Report on Preparedness and Readiness of the EU, released in October 2024, and which recommended enhanced preparedness as a matter of urgency. The newly released strategy aspires to follow an integrated all-hazards approach, a  whole-of-government approach, which brings together all relevant actors, across all levels of government (local, regional, national, and EU) and a whole-of-society approach, bringing together citizens and various relevant stakeholders. It aims at supporting Member States and enhancing Europe’s capability to prevent and respond to emerging threats.

Complementing this presentation with a national perspective, Ms. Leen Depuydt shared how Belgian authorities are putting the resilience agenda into practice. She outlined the NCCN’s role in strengthening Belgium’s preparedness for a wide range of future challenges, while also emphasizing the importance of mobilizing all levels of government and the public around a common goal. At the core of Belgium’s approach is the recognition that resilience is a shared responsibility. Building a “risk-aware culture” involves not only government planning and coordination, but also societal engagement and behavioural change. The NCCN leads this effort through continuous scenario planning, emergency exercises, and strategic coordination across essential sectors such as health, energy, telecommunications, and food supply.

This session offered a timely opportunity to reflect on how both European and national strategies are shaping the future of crisis preparedness, and to engage in a dialogue on the essential role of foresight in navigating uncertainty.

Agenda, 27 May 2025 – Egmont Foresight Network meeting

12:20 – 12:30: Welcome

12:30–12:45: Introductory remarks by Mr Pol De Witte, Director General of the Egmont Institute

12:45-13:00: Session (I) – Expert guest:  Mr Hans Das, Deputy Director-General and Chief Operations Officer, DG ECHO

13:00–13:15: Session (II) – Expert guest:  Ms Leen Depuydt, Acting Director-General at the Belgian National Crisis Centre

13:15–14:00: Q/A with participants

(Photo credit: Egmont staff)