BUCHAREST — European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib is visiting Romania on September 10, 2026, for talks focused on emergency preparedness and the European Union’s civil-protection capabilities.

During her visit to Bucharest, Lahbib is scheduled to meet Romanian President Nicușor Dan, acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and State Secretary Raed Arafat. Discussions are expected to focus on Europe’s ability to respond to major emergencies and Romania’s contribution to EU civil-protection mechanisms.

Romania has played an increasingly important role in European disaster-response efforts. This year, the country has contributed firefighting teams to operations in France, Greece and Serbia as European countries have faced serious wildfire risks.

The country has also strengthened its role within the EU’s rescEU system. In August, Romania received a new rescEU helicopter, becoming the first aircraft delivered for the EU’s permanent strategic fleet.

The Bucharest discussions come at a time when European governments are placing greater emphasis on preparedness for wildfires, floods, extreme weather events and other large-scale emergencies.

The EU has been working to improve coordination between member states so that emergency personnel and equipment can be deployed quickly when individual countries face disasters beyond their own response capacity.

Romania’s geographical position and emergency-response infrastructure make it an important partner in these efforts. Cooperation with neighbouring countries and EU institutions can help ensure that specialised equipment and rescue teams are available when needed.

Lahbib is also expected to meet members of Romania’s Parliament and organisations working on social and inclusion-related issues during the visit.

The talks could therefore strengthen Romania’s role in Europe’s wider crisis-preparedness network while providing an opportunity to assess how EU resources can be mobilised more effectively during future emergencies.