NATO’s 2026 resilience requirements tie civilian systems to defence plans

The requirements build on NATO’s seven baseline areas for civil preparedness, agreed at the 2016 Warsaw Summit. The 2021 Strengthened Resilience Commitment called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The 2026 revision adds more detail about the resources, plans and cooperation needed to keep essential functions running during a crisis or conflict. 

The requirements address specific tasks. Governments need plans to continue decision-making and essential services. Energy plans must cover supply disruption, repairs and cooperation with infrastructure operators. Authorities must prepare for controlled and uncontrolled movement of people, including evacuation. NATO also calls for contingency planning to secure food and water and for medical systems able to support both the population and national and allied forces. 

Transport and communications are directly tied to military movement. NATO’s requirements call for procedures to keep civilian transport available while supporting military priorities, de-conflict civilian and military movements on limited routes and enable allied forces to cross borders within required timelines. They also call for a national point of contact to coordinate border crossings and for communications networks to provide priority access for military and Host Nation Support requirements. 

The Polish dimension

For Poland, these requirements concern the country’s role on NATO’s eastern flank and its capacity to receive and support allied forces. That means coordinating the armed forces with ministries, local authorities, transport operators, energy providers, telecommunications companies and healthcare services. The NATO document also calls for regular exercises involving the relevant civilian and military stakeholders. 

A concrete example of military movement through Poland came during Steadfast Defender 2024. The Polish-led Dragon 24 exercise included troops from ten countries crossing the Vistula near Korzeniewo. The crossing tested one part of multinational movement. NATO’s resilience requirements cover the wider set of arrangements: transport routes, border procedures, communications, energy and civilian support for forces moving through the country. 

NATO defines resilience as a national responsibility and a collective commitment. The updated requirements therefore connect national civil preparedness with NATO’s operational planning and with the support that host nations provide to their own and allied forces. For Poland and the Baltic States, the most crucial is the arrival of the allied troops.