In Strasbourg, during a plenary session of the European Parliament, a debate took place on strategies for stockpiling supplies and improving the ability to respond to the changing landscape of risks and threats. PiS MEP Kosma Złotowski spoke on behalf of the ECR Group.
Kosma Złotowski stated that the old Chinese proverb “May you live in interesting times” has come true. “War in Ukraine and the Middle East, the pandemic, blackouts, natural disasters, rising commodity prices, a trade war… the list goes on and on,” the PiS politician noted.
Therefore, according to the ECR MEP, the idea of improving the ability to respond to potential crises and threats to supply chains is a sound one. “The question is how to implement it effectively,” Złotowski mused.
He stated that the Commission would likely want to avoid a situation like the one during the worst moments of the pandemic, when member states were fighting among themselves over critical resources, including vaccines. As he explained, this was because it is an inherent characteristic of a state to protect its own citizens first and only then assist its allies.
“For this reason, strategic reserves—whether medical, technical, or food—should be stored in each member state, as close to the citizens as possible,” said the EP Quaestor, emphasizing that a situation in which countries specialize in stockpiling only certain types of supplies should be avoided.
“The European Commission should serve solely as a coordinator and work closely with the governments of the member states in planning purchases,” Złotowski believes.
