For fast relief – More natural disasters: EU increases reserves

For example, the operational reserve for fighting forest fires from the air will more than double on Monday. The EU had 13 aircraft and helicopters available as strategic reserve last summer. 2022 was the hottest summer on record in Europe and the summer with the second highest number of forest fires. “The season of forest fires starts earlier and lasts longer,” says the 55-year-old Slovenian politician. Due to the drought, the risk of forest fires in parts of Europe is estimated to be particularly high this year.

The EU has prepared for this. This year, 28 aircraft are available in member states to collect water on demand – as a third wave when firefighting efforts in the stricken country have reached their limit and aid from neighboring countries has also been exhausted.

Requests for assistance from anywhere in the world are possible
The Civil Protection Mechanism involves the EU Member States and nine other countries. Requests for help can be made by any country in the world or by UN agencies. Lenarcic uses two examples to describe the level of solidarity in disaster relief: Ukraine, which was hard hit by the Russian offensive war, also sent rescue teams to Turkey after the massive earthquakes in February.

For the upcoming “forest fire season” it has been agreed that more than 400 specialist firefighters from ten EU countries will be stationed in risk areas in Portugal, France and Greece. “It makes perfect sense to already have additional troops. Then every second counts.”

24/7 situational awareness
This is particularly evident in the screen-filled control room of the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) in Brussels. Here, a team of several people monitors the situation 24 hours a day and acts immediately in case of emergency – even in the middle of the night. During the most recent flood disaster in northern Italy, Italy’s relief mechanism was activated shortly before midnight on Saturday, Lenarcic says.

Within a few hours there were nine offers of help from Member States (including Austria). Shortly afterwards, the first powerful pumps from Slovenia and Slovakia arrived on site.

Applications have quadrupled
In the early days of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the system was activated about 20 times a year, but now it is more than 100 a year, says the responsible Commissioner. In 2021, for example, about 60 percent of requests for help were related to the corona pandemic. Since the Russian attack, the war in Ukraine has required constant crisis coordination.

Ukraine has requested assistance 120 times, with the list of items requested from Ukraine ranging from generators to school buses. According to Lenarcic, 90,000 tons of material have been made available. The situation around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is also closely monitored. The hope is that catastrophes that led to the escape of radioactivity, such as Chernobyl in 1986, will not occur. “But hope is not good preparation for the future.”

Need action now
This also applies to climate change. It is known that this will lead to a sharp increase in heat and dry spells, forest fires, but also floods. “We are already in the middle.” On the other hand, there are measures to prepare for the effects, but also to prevent them. “The European Green Deal is avoidance.”

Because if every effort is not made to reduce emissions and limit the consequences of global warming, the consequences will be more catastrophic in every respect. “The green transition will not come cheap. But it will be much more expensive if we do nothing.”