EU deploys assistance to combat wildfires in Greece and Albania

The European Commission has announced the mobilization of emergency support to Greece and Albania, both of which have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism due to severe wildfires.

During a briefing in Brussels, spokesperson Balazs Ujvari stated that the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) has swiftly deployed aerial and ground firefighting resources from various European countries participating in the Civil Protection Mechanism to aid Greece.

This assistance includes two rescEU firefighting planes from Italy, a rescEU helicopter from France, and a helicopter from Serbia. Additionally, ground firefighting teams from the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Serbia, and Romania are being deployed. Romanian, Maltese, and Moldovan firefighters, already stationed in Greece, were among the first responders to tackle the fires.

For Albania, support includes a Romanian military plane with a capacity of six tons of water, set to be deployed on August 14.

The Commission is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to provide further assistance as necessary.

As part of its preparedness for this year’s fire season, the EU has bolstered its rescEU and European Civil Protection Pool, now comprising 28 airplanes and four helicopters across 10 member states. Additionally, over 540 firefighters from 12 countries are prepositioned in key locations across Europe, ready to assist local fire brigades when needed.

The Commission also announced the commencement of production for 12 amphibious firefighting planes, following agreements signed by several EU Member States with the Canadian Commercial Corporation. These planes, financed by the European Commission, will form the backbone of the EU’s crisis response for forest fires, with the capacity for rapid deployment from rescEU reserves when a country faces severe wildfires.

This initiative aligns with the EU’s long-term strategy to establish a permanent rescEU firefighting fleet, to be hosted by Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Additionally, member states are purchasing ten more firefighting planes to reinforce their national fleets.