In the event of a major emergency, people may need to evacuate their homes quickly. In border areas, this could mean crossing from Latvia to Lithuania or vice versa. Currently, the national civil protection authorities in Latvia and Lithuania use different procedures and communication approaches for mass evacuations, which can slow the response time and cause confusion when an emergency occurs. A shared, coordinated approach is therefore essential to keep people safe on both sides of the border, which is the focus of the strategic project Mass Movement: From Strategy to Safety, a Joint LV-LT Effort for Mass Evacuation Preparedness and Public Resilience (hereinafter – Mass Movement), implemented under the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027 (hereinafter – Programme).
Partnership and cooperation
Project Mass Movement is led by the State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia (Valsts ugunsdzēsības un glābšanas dienests) in partnership with the Fire and Rescue Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania (Priešgaisrinės apsaugos ir gelbėjimo departamentas prie Vidaus reikalų ministerijos). These national civil protection authorities will spearhead the project’s implementation and ensure that the joint operational tools and methods developed for cross-border crises are tested in practice and integrated into existing civil protection procedures.
On 20 April, 2026 the project kick-off meeting was hosted in Riga, Latvia, with both partners introducing their planned activities for the summer and the forthcoming year.
The project partners have long-standing experience in the Programme and have demonstrated strong cross-border cooperation through multiple joint projects. The project will strengthen coordination across more than 25 organisations including municipal civil protection bodies, first responders, non-governmental organizations, volunteers, and local authorities.
What Mass Movement will change?
With 2.46 million EUR European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) co-financing, Mass Movement will help national civil protection authorities of Latvia and Lithuania to build one coordinated system for planning and carrying out mass evacuations during major crises that can affect communities in both countries – natural disasters, industrial accidents, military threats and other large-scale emergencies. A key focus is also on people – the project will improve public understanding and preparedness, so residents know what to expect and how to act if evacuation is required.
Why is this project strategic for EU cooperation?
The strategic importance of this project for EU cooperation lies in strengthening civil protection capacities and deepening bilateral and regional collaboration. These priorities were highlighted during the meeting of Latvian-Lithuanian Intergovernmental Commission for Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation on April 18, 2024, where civil protection authorities from both countries identified common interests and future cooperation areas, particularly in managing mass population displacement.
During the project Kick-off meeting in Riga, Deputy Head of the Latvian State Fire and Rescue Service, Ivars Nakurts, emphasized that the implementation of the Mass Movement project is particularly timely. He noted that in the previous year Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia signed a memorandum of cooperation on mutual assistance and information exchange in the event of population evacuation across the Baltic States. This development reflects a positive shift in the field of civil protection – from political commitment to concrete, practical actions – thereby underlining the project’s strategic relevance at both regional and EU levels.
The project Mass Movement was selected through a dedicated restricted call for proposals, underlining the project’s strategic relevance. Co-financed by the ERDF, project Mass Movement has been designated an Operation of Strategic Importance (OSI) – a high-impact flagship category in the Programme in period 2021–2027. This status highlights the project’s role in demonstrating the value of European Territorial Cooperation by delivering practical, policy-aligned solutions that strengthen citizens’ safety and security and strengthen regional resilience.
What makes it strategic in practice?
1) Joint Framework for Mass Evacuation
Civil protection experts and practitioners will work together to assess the current readiness for mass evacuations, identify gaps and develop a joint Latvia-Lithuania evacuation framework. This will include harmonised standard operating procedures (SOPs) and a practical handbook that institutions can use in real emergencies. These tools will clarify roles, improve interoperability, and facilitate faster cross-border coordination in the event of an emergency.
2) Joint training and full-scale testing
The project will strengthen readiness through joint trainings, table-top exercises, across both countries, using a “train-the-trainer” approach so knowledge can be shared widely. Municipal Civil Protection Commissions, first responders and other partners will practice roles and coordination in realistic scenarios. Teams will also go on exchange visits to learn from good practices in other countries and bring useful solutions back to the Latvia-Lithuania context.
The core part of the project is practice at full scale. Project partners will organise joint evacuation simulations that test the entire process – from decision-making and movement to border crossing, registration, reception and support services. Early demo exercises will identify gaps, and a final large-scale exercise will confirm improvements after procedures are refined.
3) Helping citizens feel informed and ready
Mass Movement will run a multichannel public awareness campaign (online, print, broadcast and face-to-face outreach) with clear guidance on warnings, preparation steps and what to do during evacuation. The partners will take part in at least 80 public events in both countries using practical demonstrations and engaging materials to reach different age groups. Activities include hands-on tools like demonstration “go-bags” and interactive formats (e.g., VR simulations in Lithuania) to make evacuation steps easier to understand and remember.
The project duration is 27 months, in implementation from 15 November 2025 to 14 February 2028.
Visit project: https://latlit.eu/theprojects/massmovement/