Answer for question E-000960/25

EN E-000960/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission (25.4.2025) Strengthening the EU’s wildfire response capacity is a key priority under the EU Disaster Resilience Goals1. Since 2014, the Commission has established firefighting reserves under the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP)2 to help countries respond to wildfire emergencies. In 2019, the ECPP was complemented by the EU’s strategic reserve rescEU3 under which the Commission is developing a permanent rescEU wildfire fleet, set to be operational by early 2028. In 2024, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM)4 was activated 16 times for wildfires5. Ground teams from 12 countries were pre-positioned in Spain, Portugal, Greece, and France to support local brigades and enhance interoperability. The pre-positioning of firefighters will continue in 2025. To improve readiness, the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is using early warning systems6 for better situational awareness and is advancing artificial intelligence driven fire detection and behaviour analysis. Regular lessons learnt meetings help Member States share best practices on wildfire management, risk awareness, and integrated response strategies. The Wildfire Peer Review Programme7 assesses national wildfire management and provides recommendations. The Wildfire Support Team of the ERCC supports operations with monitoring, coordination, and reporting activities. The Preparedness Union Strategy will help the EU and its...