By Gary Machado, Executive Director, EENA

The recent floods in Valencia have shaken Spain, bringing tragedy that could have been prevented. Lives could have been saved had Valencia’s alerting system been activated in time. Spain has a functioning public warning system from a technological standpoint, but this alone is not enough. Public warning isn’t just about having the technology; It involves establishing a clear strategy with defined protocols specifying who sends the alert, under what conditions, at what time, for which area, and with what message, potentially using pre-defined templates.

I’ve been with the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) since 2006, pushing for laws that would protect people during crises. At every turn, we encountered resistance. EU institutions argued it wasn’t their competence. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) lobbied against it, unwilling to shoulder any cost. Even individual Member States opposed it, defending the interests of their national operators or simply not seeing the need for it. It took over a decade to get modern public warning systems mandated by law, and still, we are witnessing preventable failures today. But today, people across Europe demand to be alerted— especially since the devastating floods in Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg in 2021. Their demand is clear: protect us with all available tools.

And yet, we see delays. France needed two major terrorist attacks and the failure of its public warning system in the Nice attack of 2016 before finally improving its protocols. German officials once insisted that their app was sufficient — until catastrophic floods in 2021 exposed the app’s inadequacy, leading to tragic consequences. Only then did Germany act to integrate Cell Broadcast, realising belatedly the resources they had to protect lives.

The EU took a significant step in 2018 by mandating that all Member States deploy modern public warning systems, but too many still lack adequate procedures and clear protocols for activation. The tragic events in Spain are not isolated but are a symptom of a broader issue: having advanced technology without the political will and motivation to implement and maintain it effectively is a failure in public safety.

These are not just operational failures; they are a breakdown in public trust. Disasters are inevitable, and people understand that. What they cannot comprehend is why readily available technology wasn’t used in due time to alert them and save lives. Every time a public warning system fails, it’s not just lives that are lost — it’s trust in institutions. And that loss of trust fuels social polarisation and disinformation, sowing seeds of doubt in a time when coordinated action and factual information are vital. This very fear led me, in 2017, to propose the creation of an NGO focusing on disinformation which I then co-founded, seeing how Europe’s failure to prioritise critical tools like public warnings endangered both lives and public faith in our institutions.

As someone who has advocated for mandatory public warning systems since 2006, this failure is deeply frustrating. Public warning is not a luxury; it’s an essential component of public safety, and it should be treated as such.

Adding to the frustration is the recent statement from Valencia’s head of emergency response, who said she wasn’t aware of ES-Alert — Spain’s public warning system. This, despite EENA hosting its annual conference in Valencia this past April, which featured a session in Spanish titled “public warning in Spain”, including a presentation of ES-Alert by the central government and a presentation on its use by the region of Catalonia. She should have known about ES-Alert, and her statement highlights a glaring lack of attention to this critical safety tool, not just in Valencia but beyond. This situation shows how urgently we need to take public warning far more seriously.

Climate change is amplifying the frequency and intensity of disasters. The need for robust early warning systems has never been more urgent. For all Member States, especially those that are unprepared technologically or operationally, there is no time to wait. Delays and budget cuts on these vital services are a recipe for disaster. Member States need to improve management and establish clear communication procedures. The European Commission must also hold countries accountable, applying pressure where needed, starting infringement procedures against non-compliant Member States, and promoting the exchange of best practices in implementing these life-saving systems.

EENA remains committed to supporting these changes. In December, we will release a Public Warning Report Card, providing detailed information on public warning deployment across the EU, highlighting both achievements and areas for improvement. EENA will continue fostering an exchange of best practices among authorities and pushing for a public warning system that is not only technologically ready but operationally sound and resilient.

The EU boasts some of the most advanced public warning laws in the world – a model even for the UN. But laws alone aren’t enough. They must be fully implemented with the political will to sustain and improve them over time. Public warning systems cannot be allowed to fail; too much is at stake. In Spain, the immediate response has been to assign blame, but the real challenge is far bigger. This incident must be fully investigated and documented so that Europe, and the world, can learn from this failure.

Gary Machado

Executive Director

European Emergency Number Association (EENA)