Wildfires, PD: "A European challenge, the EU must call an urgent meeting"

Brussels – An extraordinary meeting of the European Union member states most affected by the forest fires. This is what the Democratic Party delegation to the European Parliament is calling on the EU to convene, in a letter sent to the European Commissioner for Crisis Preparedness and Management, Hadja Lahbib. The letter, whose lead signatory is MEP Georgia Tramacere, was also forwarded for information to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

In the text, the PD delegation explains that the initiative has been launched in light of “the extremely severe wave of wildfires currently affecting Italy and numerous Mediterranean countries. From Puglia to Sardinia, from Sicily to other parts of the country, thousands of hectares of natural heritage have been destroyed, hundreds of people have been evacuated, and entire communities are facing extremely serious environmental, economic, and social damage.” This is a situation in which “Puglia is among the hardest-hit regions, with fires that have devastated the Gargano, Salento, and Alta Murgia areas, putting citizens, workers, economic activities, and an extraordinary environmental heritage at risk.” In the letter, the delegation emphasises that this emergency does not concern Italy alone but now represents “a European challenge, exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which requires joint responses and increasingly effective coordination between Member States.”

PD MEPs have expressed “appreciation for the European Union’s prompt intervention and for the European Commission’s commitment through the European Civil Protection Mechanism and the rescEU fleet, which are providing effective support to the Member States most severely affected.” This is “a swift and effective response that confirms the value of European solidarity and demonstrates how cooperation between Member States is now an indispensable tool for tackling increasingly frequent and complex emergencies.” Furthermore, the letter points out that the European Commission had already put in place, for the summer of 2026, the largest European fire-fighting operation ever organised, comprising 22 aircraft, 5 helicopters and 777 firefighters deployed in the countries most at risk.

However, “the events of recent weeks demonstrate that the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires make it necessary to further strengthen European coordination.” For this reason, in the letter, the delegation asks “Commissioner Lahbib to consider convening an extraordinary meeting with the Member States most affected by forest fires, with a view to sharing the critical issues that have emerged during this summer, strengthening European coordination and launching a joint discussion on enhancing the tools for prevention, monitoring, and emergency response.”

The situation is alarming. “The images coming in from Italy at this very moment bear witness to a tragedy affecting regions, communities, and the natural environment, but they also represent a European challenge that calls for increasingly coordinated responses. We are convinced that a dialogue between the European Commission and the Member States could provide an important opportunity to consolidate the European civil protection system and strengthen the Union’s capacity to protect citizens, the environment and territories,” they write in the letter. They emphasise that, “in the face of increasingly frequent extreme events, Europe must continue to invest in cooperation and prevention, because the safety of citizens and the protection of our natural heritage are a shared responsibility.”

English version by the Translation Service of Withub