When the smoke clears

The European Commission is set to review whether this summer’s devastating wildfire season in southern Europe requires additional measures once the immediate emergency phase ends. Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said Brussels’ priority is supporting efforts to save lives and bring fires under control, but the Commission will later assess the overall response and consider “further measures or initiatives.” Europe’s wildfire response remains largely national, activated through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU. This year rescEU has access to 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters, while the Commission is building a permanent fleet of 12 Canadairs and five helicopters, with deliveries running until 2030 due to manufacturing limits.