RT.com
30 Nov 2022, 16:13 GMT+10
The emergency plan aims to provide critical supplies for citizens in the event of mass power cuts
Austria unveiled emergency measures on Tuesday to secure food and other essentials for people in the event of blackouts this winter. The plan, published on the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism website, decrees that all grocery stores in Austria are to remain closed on the first day of a potential blackout.
On the second day, stores are to remain closed but act as centres from which bags of fresh produce will be given to residents, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Additionally, the stores will offer prepared bags with water, long-life bread, canned goods, convenience products, and candles to be sold for cash. Baby items and hygiene products will be made available on request.
From day three, only products from the dry range will be offered, for safety reasons.
All major Austrian retailers have agreed to the scheme, including Spar, Maximarkt, Billa, Penny, Lidl, Frisch, Unimarkt, M-Preis, and others.
Residents were advised to stock up on food with a long shelf-life and keep a 14-day supply at home, as well as to keep small denominations of cash in the amount of around €100 per family member.
The scheme was prepared in coordination with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), the National Bank of Austria (OeNB), and the energy ministry, as well as representatives from the food retail industry and the association of Austrian municipalities (Österreichische Gemeindebund).
While officials stressed that the food supply in Austria is currently secure and the risk of a power shortage is "very low and unlikely," they noted that "new potential challenges require timely preparation in order to be ready for a crisis."
"Our food trade industry is a responsible one and has already proved its ability to overcome the crisis. The solution presented today in the event of a possible mass blackout is a model for the whole of Europe and shows that our food industry is ready for the crisis as part of the system of critical infrastructure," the head of the association of food retailers Christophe Tamandl said, commenting on the plan.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Cardiff Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cardiff Star.
More InformationLONDON, England: Flybe, a British regional airline, abruptly closed operations on January 28. The airline offered flight to Belfast, Birmingham ...
LONDON, England: Of the 14 main battle tanks and additional artillery support it will send to Ukraine, Britain hopes its ...
The Los Angeles Thieves won two elimination-bracket matches on Friday to stay alive in the Call of Duty League Major ...
Kurt Kitayama made two late birdies to slide into the lead at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Friday in Pebble ...
The United States moved to the brink of advancing out of its Davis Cup qualifying series by winning both singles ...
London [UK], February 4 (ANI): An Indian-origin man, who broke into Windsor Castle in 2021 with a loaded crossbow and ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The Biden administration has stopped issuing export licenses to US companies seeking to ship most items to China's ...
Nearly a year in, the war in Ukraine has cost tens of thousands of lives and brought the world to ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that limits the ability of US Energy Secretary Jennifer ...
BOSTON, Massachusetts: Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin, who has ties to the Kremlin, has been accused of making tens of millions ...
TOKYO, Japan: In light of a tense security environment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Moscow's growing military cooperation with ...
DALLAS, Texas: Oil and gas pipeline operators are preparing to stockpile equipment following severe weather forecasts for the next few ...