The EU’s 72-hour emergency kit

In March 2025 the European Commission’s Preparedness Union Strategy asked every household in the EU to be able to cope alone for at least 72 hours. The Commission didn’t publish a formal checklist; the items below are the ones it showed when launching the strategy, as reported by the press.

The official numbers

Self-reliance: at least 72 hours
Water: about 5 litres of bottled water per person (as reported)

What European Commission (Preparedness Union Strategy) recommends

Gear

Supplies to buy

Bottled drinking water
Long-life food (ready to eat)
Stove fuel cartridges

To arrange

Personal medication supply
Spare glasses / contact lenses
Cash in small notes and coins
Copies of ID and key documents

What the authorities advise beyond the kit

72 hours is a recommendation, not a rule. The Commission is still drafting detailed guidelines; until then, follow your own country’s advice (see the country guides).
112 works in every EU country, free from any phone.
Expect disinformation. The strategy includes training to spot information manipulation during a crisis.
Preparedness is moving into schools, with a planned EU Preparedness Day.

Food to keep at home

What the official list says: Supplies for at least 72 hours. The Commission has not yet published a food list, so follow your own country’s list.

General advice from the official food lists:

Stock food you already eat, and rotate it: use the oldest first and replace it, so nothing expires unnoticed.
For 72 hours, choose food that keeps at room temperature and can be eaten without cooking: tins, crispbread, dried fruit, nuts, muesli, long-life milk.
For a week or longer, add dry staples such as rice, pasta, oats and pulses, plus oil, salt and sugar, and a stove to cook on.
Dry staples need water to cook: count it in your water stock.
Store food cool, dry and dark, in airtight containers once opened.
Allow for babies, special diets, allergies and pets.
Keep a manual can opener, and throw away tins that are swollen, dented or rusty.

Printable 72-hour food list, combined from official lists. Print it or save it as a PDF.

What other governments add

These appear on most of the 12 official lists we compared, but not on this one:

Pet food and water (6 of 12 lists)
Blankets and warm clothing (6 of 12 lists)
Hand sanitiser (6 of 12 lists)
Wet wipes (5 of 12 lists)

Build your kit

Every item above is in our L1 kit (72 hours). Use the household calculator to get quantities for your household, and download the shopping list for the supplies you’ll buy at the supermarket and pharmacy.

FAQ

How long should an emergency kit last in European Union? At least 72 hours, according to European Commission (Preparedness Union Strategy).

Do I need to buy a ready-made kit? No. Building your own from the official list is cheaper and you know what’s in it. Our picks cover the gear; the rest comes from the supermarket.

Source: European Commission (Preparedness Union Strategy). Last reviewed: October 2026.