2. Description A disaster occurs in a region consisting of many (small) countries that are easy travelled between and have open borders (example: Schengen). Each country is relatively good developed, yet there are still clear differences in quality & speed of health care. This is a recipe for a major coordination failure causing otherwise avoidable deaths or harm on top of an initial disaster.

3. The idea came when I read this: Two boats collided in a river near the town Cuijk (Netherlands). The emergency control room of the so-called “safety region” sent divers from the big city of that region. Yet, divers from the nearby region were located much closer to the accident, which the control room did not contact. There are no agreements of cooperation between the regions. This example is only small-scale. Now imagine thousands of people in need of help - and cooperation involves not regions, but countries...

5. Floods & storm (domestic help or hospital is more difficult to reach than foreign country).

6. Earthquake (hospital may be damaged, roads blocked).

7. Extreme heatwave with fires and electric blackout.

8. Social unrest, terrorist attack or war in disputed area’s: flee from agressive people.

9. Nuclear fallout (accident at plant or waste-transport, ”dirty” regular bomb, stolen nuclear bomb).

15. The plan is a logical extension of emergency response in countries themselves. Successful cooperation on complex matters is demonstrated by the European Union. If only for geographical reasons the EU should also be a pioneer in this.

17. Choice of map starting with disaster in Balkans only because it fits the description of the coordination challenge well. Not meant to suggest as it is more ”initial” disaster prone.

18. Original news article (in Dutch) of accident (slide 3) read online at internetsite of Brabants Dagblad.

19. Idea of Preparation & Simulation as described is my original work.

20. Thanks for reading!