EU Urges Stronger Wildfire Strategy as Climate Risks Intensify

BRUSSELS- The European Union must strengthen its approach to combating wildfires by investing more in prevention, forest management and public awareness as climate change drives more frequent and destructive fire seasons, the bloc’s crisis management commissioner said on Wednesday as France and Spain continued battling major blazes.

EU Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the increasing severity of wildfires requires governments to move beyond emergency response and place greater emphasis on reducing risks before disasters occur. She said climate change was accelerating and warned that Europe’s preparedness must evolve at the same pace.

Lahbib said increasing the number of firefighting aircraft alone would not be sufficient. She urged member states to devote more European Union funding to forest management practices that reduce the likelihood and intensity of wildfires, while also expanding public education campaigns aimed at preventing human-caused fires.

According to Lahbib, around 90% of wildfires are triggered by human activity, including unattended campfires and discarded cigarettes. She said greater awareness of fire risks and responsible behaviour could significantly reduce the number of preventable incidents.

The comments came as France and Spain faced deadly wildfires that have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people after an exceptionally hot and dry summer. The blazes have spread across areas already affected by prolonged heat and drought, conditions that scientists say increase wildfire risk.

Responsibility for wildfire management primarily rests with national governments, while the European Union coordinates cross-border assistance when member states request emergency support. Through its RescEU programme, the bloc maintains a reserve fleet of 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters made available by participating member states.

As of Tuesday, the European Commission had coordinated the deployment of seven firefighting aircraft and four helicopters to France, along with six aircraft and three ground-based forest firefighting teams to Spain.

Recognising the heightened threat posed by increasingly severe fire seasons, the EU deployed more than 770 firefighters across high-risk countries before the start of this summer, the largest such pre-positioning effort undertaken by the bloc. EU officials have also warned that wildfire activity could continue into November this year.

Lahbib said the scale and intensity of recent disasters demonstrated the need to further strengthen Europe’s collective emergency response capabilities. The European Commission has proposed increasing crisis response funding in the next long-term EU budget to €10.7 billion.

However, negotiations among EU member states have resulted in a compromise proposal that would reduce the planned allocation to €9.1 billion.

In parallel with expanding funding, the European Union is building its own permanent aerial firefighting capability. The Commission said 12 Canadair firefighting aircraft and five helicopters are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2030, providing the bloc with dedicated assets to reinforce national emergency services during future wildfire seasons.