The EU orders the increase of the air fleet of firefighters

2023-07-28 08:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The European Commission has announced it will buy 12 new aircraft to boost its firefighting air fleet as southern European countries battle the blazes.

The 12 requested Canadair aircraft will be funded entirely by the EU, but stationed and legally owned by Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

"We have recently reached a breakthrough with a potential manufacturer of the most sought-after Canadairs to restart global production again," European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenar?i? told Euronews.

"We will be able to further increase the EU's air rescue firefighting fleet in order to respond to such intense fires which are becoming the new normal," he added.

Pilots for the new aircraft will be provided by the six member states, while the EU will fund other staff needed to ensure their availability and deployment.

However, these new aircraft will not be available until the 2027 wildfire season.

It comes as fires are raging across the Mediterranean and North Africa, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and killing at least 40.

This month, Greece and Tunisia have both activated the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows countries to request help from other countries to fight fires. Over 490 firefighters and nine firefighting aircraft have been deployed to Greece and Tunisia since July 18.

Although stationed in the six southern member states, the 12 new aircraft will also be available to countries that activate the Civil Protection Mechanism with the European Commission holding the final decision on the deployment of the fleet in response to crises.

Over 180,638 hectares of EU land have burned so far this year due to fires, 29% more than the 20-year annual average. In Greece, the area burned this year is 83% above average.

The EU already doubled its reserve aerial firefighting fleet last year in preparation for this summer.

Lenar?i? explained that this was in response to an increase in severe fires in Europe that "were threatening many member states at the same time, and therefore expanding their ability to help each other through ad hoc expressions of solidarity that we we coordinate through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. "

"Furthermore, this year we continue with the pre-deployment of the ground forces of firefighters to enable rapid European assistance on the ground," he added.

The European Commission said it is also taking action to address the root causes of the increasing trend of intense wildfires, which have been driven by climate change.

"We have prepared the Fire Prevention Action Plan with the objective to improve the administrative capacity and knowledge of the stakeholders and to increase the investment in the wildfire prevention action," said Lenar?i?.

But, according to the Commissioner, tackling the root cause of climate change is essential. Extreme weather conditions have been shown to exacerbate wildfires, with warmer and drier conditions leading to longer and more active fire seasons.

"The most effective response to limit the damage of such devastating natural impacts on lives, livelihoods and the environment, and to prevent the worst from happening is the green transition," said Lenarcic.

While civil protection is a national competence, with EU support coordinating an efficient response, Lenar?i? did not rule out the prospect of an EU-level fire service if the large increase in fires continues.

"The likelihood of a full EU fire service scenario being pursued naturally depends largely on the member states themselves," he said.

"Regardless of such developments, the Commission will continue to do its best to carry out its supporting competence in this area"./ CNA