The EU is planning its largest-ever operation against forest fires this summer. With the threat of forest fires increasing across Europe, almost 800 firefighters from 14 countries will be stationed in particularly vulnerable areas in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. In addition, 22 aircraft and 5 helicopters from the EU fleet are available to provide support.
“This is European solidarity in action,” emphasized von der Leyen. Firefighters from all over Europe have a common goal: to protect people, houses and forests. The project is coordinated and financed by the EU Commission via the civil protection mechanism.
The project will be accompanied by round-the-clock coordination and support from experts from an emergency coordination center. The EU also wants to set up a new European regional fire station in Cyprus to strengthen preparedness and response capacities to wildfires across Europe and the southern Mediterranean, it said.
Devastating forest fires last summer
Fires in Europe burned more than a million hectares last year, more than ever before. This emerges from a report on the state of the climate in Europe in 2025 by the World Weather Organization (WMO) and the EU climate change service Copernicus. In general, in southern Europe, among other places, the likelihood of fires and the areas burned have increased due to climate change.
