Forest fires: EU coordinates biggest ever response in Sweden

The Commission has now helped channel a record level of support to help Sweden battle unprecedented forest fires.

So far, 7 firefighting planes, 7 helicopters, 60 vehicles and over 340 personnel have been offered through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism thanks to Italy, France, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark, Portugal, Poland and Austria. Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said: “We have been working 24/7 to help Sweden. This is our duty in a Europe that protects and is close to citizens. Over the past week and weekend a record level of EU support has been mobilised. The fires in Sweden show that climate change is real and that no country is immune to natural disasters. This is why the Commission has proposed to strengthen EU civil protection response through rescEU – so that when multiple disasters hit Member States they are better prepared to confront them.” The rescEU proposal is a central part of President Juncker‘s agenda of a Europe that protects.The Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre is closely monitoring the situation in Sweden and the forest fire risk across Europe.