Workshop by the European Civil Protection Mechanism for the lessons of the fire season 2021

The workshop of the European Civil Protection Mechanism on the lessons of the fire-fighting period of 2021 started today at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, Janes Lenarcic, found the co-operation of EU Member States for more effective risk management as well as strengthening prevention. The main goal of the workshop is to identify the shortcomings and omissions identified by the summer forest fires in order to improve the way they are addressed.

Mr. Stylianidis stressed that the only way to deal effectively with the climate crisis is only through the collective action of countries, while adding that one of the key priorities is to strengthen the European Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU. In addition, the minister said that the frequency and intensity of natural disasters has increased sharply, as according to the latest report of the World Meteorological Organization, they have increased fivefold in the last fifty years.

Mr. Stylianidis said that Greece is taking initiatives and actions at European and international level to strengthen the collective response to the climate crisis, while noting that the goal is for Europe to gain a strategic advantage and more opportunities to deal with the effects of climate change. “This is the challenge of our time, which permeates every policy and sector horizontally,” he said.

Regarding the firefighting period that passed, Mr. Stylianidis said that it was characterized by catastrophic, mega-fires throughout the Mediterranean. He said it was estimated that more than 0.5 million hectares of land had been burned, of which 61% was forest. In fact, about 25% of the areas burned are within Natura 2000 sites – the EU’s biodiversity reservoirs. The Mediterranean countries, including Greece, Italy and Turkey, were the hardest hit. So is Algeria. “Greece, having set a record of days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, was faced with forest fires of unprecedented intensity! This is another clear indication that the climate crisis, climate change is here. Is a reality. This is not fake news! It affects us all “, he underlined.

The Minister emphasized the solidarity between the countries on the issue of risk management.

“Solidarity in practice is our common ground. It is the European approach to risk prevention and management. In tackling climate change. It is the way forward “, noted Mr. Stylianidis.

At the same time, Mr. Stylianidis stated that the negotiation process for the supply of 2 aircraft (Canader) through rescEU in the country has begun, while there is a discussion with the European Commission about the pilot program of firefighters from the Nordic countries who will come to the country this summer. to help put out the fires, leaving open the possibility that these firefighters are “parked” here “until the body of forest firefighters is created”.

He also reiterated that the main pillars of the ministry are the triptych Prevention-Preparation / Readiness-Resilience. “We believe that if you go to the battlefield without prevention, proper preparation and without thinking about resilience in the future, you will probably fail and possibly lose human lives. We will stick to this triptych. “It is the only solution to deal with these serious effects of the climate crisis”, Mr. Stylianidis underlined.

For his part, the European Commissioner, Janes Lenarcic, stressed in his speech that the assistance received by Greece this summer is indicative of the strength of European solidarity. He also pointed out that our country is one of the most active members of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, having offered assistance in the last seven years in thirty cases, while it has received assistance in eleven. A proof, as he characteristically stated, that European and Greek solidarity knows no borders.

Regarding the workshop, he pointed out that it is a very important step in stimulating Europe’s efforts to strengthen its response forces at all stages of the disaster cycle, but also to formulate a plan that will act as a shield against future threats from forest fires and more. Mr Lenarcic also said the European Commission was in the final stages of talks with the Greek government on the supply of two medium-sized firefighting aircraft through the rescEU mechanism, a significant addition to its operational support, he said. These two aircraft will be part of rescEU’s stock, which, he explained, means that there will be an additional “safety net”.

He also stressed that ways must be found to achieve prevention as well as preparation. “We need to increase our response capacity as if what happened last summer, we need to be there, to have the ability to respond at local, national and European level,” Lenarcic said.

Referring in particular to the need to strengthen Europe’s response capacity to the new reality posed by the climate crisis, he noted that the European Commission is working with all Member States to seek and explore innovative ideas, such as the redeployment of firefighters. Member States to strengthen areas particularly affected during the summer.

It is noted that this is the first time that the annual workshop of the Mechanism for the report of the firefighting period is held in Athens, on the occasion of the great mobilization of the European Civil Protection Mechanism to provide assistance to our country in dealing with fires.

The workshop brings together in our country high-ranking officials from many member states of the Mechanism (all EU countries, as well as Turkey and Northern Macedonia), who have the opportunity to discuss in detail issues related to the operation of the Mechanism and to analyze the lessons from last summer’s fires. The works are completed tomorrow, Tuesday 23 November.