14/05/24 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 14 May, the European Commission announced a number of measures to step up fire-fighting efforts in the EU as the summer season approaches. 556 firefighters from 12 countries will be “strategically” pre-positioned this summer in key locations across Europe, such as France, Greece, Portugal and Spain, to be ready to assist local firefighters in the event of a major fire. The EU has also set up a special fleet of fire-fighting aircraft via rescEU, comprising 28 aircraft and 4 helicopters stationed in 10 Member States, and has made €600 million available to acquire twelve new aircraft of this type (see EUROPE 13378/11). In 2023, 400,900 hectares of vegetation went up in smoke in Europe. (IS)