Brussels, 20/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - Two French Canadair firefighting planes were sent to Greece on Saturday 18 July to help the country tackle forest fires.
Faced with the spread of forest fires in several regions, Greece called the European Union civil protection mechanism to be activated on Friday, 17 July.
“We have responded quickly and in full solidarity to the call for assistance. The Commission is grateful to France for its immediate reaction that made the deployment of the planes from the voluntary pool possible,” said EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism facilitates the cooperation in disaster response among 33 European states (28 EU Member States, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro, Norway and Serbia). This mechanism enables these participating states to pool the resources that can be made available to disaster-stricken countries all over the world. (Mathieu Bion)