Emergency services from Belgium, France, and Luxembourg are taking part in a major crisis exercise in Aubange on Tuesday. The drill simulates a serious accident involving hazardous substances, with the scenario designed so that the consequences could affect not only Belgium but also its neighbouring countries, France and Luxembourg.
Around 100 emergency personnel and 50 volunteers are participating in the exercise, which is organised by the rescue zone of Belgium's Luxembourg province. Alongside Belgian teams, French and Luxembourgish emergency services are actively involved to ensure genuine cross-border cooperation.
A key objective of the drill is to test how quickly information is relayed, how rescue teams coordinate their actions, and how decisions are made under significant time pressure. These elements are crucial to managing real-life emergencies that require cooperation across borders.
The European Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, observes the operation. Her presence underlines the importance of such international exercises for the European Union's emergency response strategy.
The exercise aims to uncover potential weaknesses in communication and coordination between the services of all three countries.
