Brainstorming and exchange of experience is ongoing to increase the EU’s capacity to deal with forest fires. This was demonstrated at the ‘European Civil Protection Mechanism Lessons Learned’ workshop, held in Greece on Monday 22 November, with the participation of the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.
The workshop provided an opportunity for the Commissioner and his predecessor, Chrystos Stylianides, now the Greek Minister for Civil Protection, to discuss the need to strengthen the rescEU strategic reserve’s equipment of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
On this occasion, Mr Lenarčič announced in an online press briefing that “a contract is being finalised to add two Greek fire-fighting aircraft to rescEU”. He recalled that it was Mr Stylianides who, under the previous European Commission, had managed the reform of the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism and the creation of this reserve.
The rescEU fleet currently comprises 11 aircraft and six helicopters: Two aircraft from Croatia, two from Greece, two from Italy, two from Spain, six helicopters from Sweden as well as one aircraft from France and two from Sweden, which are part of the long-term rescEU fleet. Its pre-positioning in June to face the fire season last summer was not enough (see EUROPE 12745/22).
While Greece, a Mediterranean country regularly confronted with forest fires, has been helped a lot, “it is not only a beneficiary, it is also a big contributor to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism”, Mr Lenarčič stressed. In the last seven years, this Member State has intervened 30 times to assist other countries in difficulty.
For the future, it is necessary to “look at how to strengthen prevention, improve preparedness and reinforce our European response capacity”, said the Commissioner, given that this year’s forest fires have been fierce and have affected “countries like Austria, for the first time”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)