EU FOREST FIRE RESOURCES INCREASE

Following a record-breaking forest re season in Europe, the EU Commission has proposed providing €170million from the EU budget to reinforce its rescEU ground and aerial assets for the summer of 2023. e rescEU transitional eet, it is aimed, will have 22 planes, four helicopters, and more ground teams in place by then. It is also planned that by 2025 the eet would be further reinforced through the procurement of more airplanes and helicopters. Data for 2022 reveals a 30% increase in the burnt area over the previous worst year recorded (2017), and a more than 170% increase over the average burnt area since EU-level records began in 2006. is season, the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre received 11 requests for assistance for forest res, deploying 33 planes, eight helicopters and 350 re ghters across Europe via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.