Major European civil protection exercise under way in Romandy

From Tuesday to Friday, French-speaking Switzerland is hosting EU MODEX Switzerland 2026, an exercise under the European Union's civil protection mechanism. The scenario involves a powerful earthquake striking the cantons of Vaud, Geneva and Fribourg, causing damage severe enough to require the intervention of foreign teams.

The earthquake is simulated, but the rescue operation is real. About 500 people are taking part, more than half of them from abroad. Operations are taking place at three sites: Epeisses and Geneva, in the canton of Geneva, and Payerne, in the canton of Vaud. The goal is to test preparedness in case of a real disaster.

Nicola Squillaci, head of civil protection for the canton of Geneva, explains that exercises like this show what needs to be improved to be ready for a real disaster.

Teams from six countries

Specialised teams from Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Armenia, Belgium and Croatia are taking part in the exercise, working alongside Swiss authorities. Each team follows its own procedures, which must be coordinated with those of local authorities. Rebecca Dinkelbach, director of the EU's Modex exercise, notes that the real challenge is getting teams from different countries to work together: such cooperation can only be prepared up to a point within each country of origin, which is why joint simulations matter so much.

This is the first time Switzerland has organised and hosted an exercise of this kind. The federal authorities are responsible for managing the entire process, from the entry of foreign teams into the country to their deployment in the affected areas and their eventual return home. The exercise is also a test ahead of Switzerland's possible future membership in the European civil protection mechanism.

Anja Zbinden, of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, notes that an operation of this scale cannot be handled alone, which makes it essential to train with foreign teams and build a network of contacts. Knowing the right people and their working methods in advance can make a difference in a real disaster.

The European mechanism was already activated last January during the Crans-Montana fire, when it helped transfer several severely burned patients abroad.