Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, will be in Greenland on 12 and 13 November to strengthen European cooperation on resilience and preparedness. Wildfires, landslides, tsunamis, avalanches and flooding from ice melt are among natural hazards in Greenland, which are expected to become more frequent as a consequence of global warming.
These threats pose particular challenges for remote communities, where extreme conditions and vast distances can make emergency response difficult. She will be joined by the Danish Minister for Resilience and Preparedness Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen.
On Thursday 12 November, the Commissioner will visit Nuuk’s fire station and meet with Greenland’s Minister for Housing, Infrastructure, Outlying Districts and Emergency Preparedness, Naalakkersuisoq Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco to exchange on Greenland’s emergency preparedness priorities. The Commissioner and the Greenlandic and Danish Ministers will also discuss the findings and recommendations of the EU’s Civil Protection Advisory mission that took place in September.
On Friday 13 November, she will visit the rescue service of Kapisillit and local state-owned grocery shop (Pilersuisoq) to learn about emergency response, security of supply and the overall resilience in remote communities.
Commissioner Lahbib said:
‘The Arctic is changing before our eyes, and with it, the risks facing the people who call it home. By preparing better and working together, we can protect lives. And we can make sure no community faces these threats alone.’
The visit comes as the EU steps up its engagement with Greenland and the wider Arctic. Following the Joint Declaration signed during President von der Leyen’s visit to Nuuk in September, and the new EU Arctic Strategy presented in October 2026, the focus is now on putting these commitments into practice. The recent mission of European civil protection experts, and the follow-up discussions during Commissioner Lahbib’s visit, are practical steps in putting this cooperation into practice.
