Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas delivered a video message at the Fourth Forum of the Hymettus Protection and Development Association (S.P.A.Y.) on June 4, 2025, emphasizing the indispensable role of enhanced cooperation to safeguard local and natural environments. While speaking to a gathering of twelve Attica municipalities and local authorities, he outlined policy orientations focused on resilience, sustainability, and joint governance across local, national, and European levels.
Strengthening Disaster Prevention and Infrastructure
Tzitzikostas underscored the urgent need for unified planning and collaboration to prevent and mitigate environmental catastrophes such as forest fires, flooding, and erosion. He called for sustainable, intelligent, and resilient public infrastructure investments, highlighting the importance of modernizing networks, roads, reservoirs, dams, and flood control works. Concrete financial elements were cited, notably the utilization of the European Justice Transition Fund with over €8.5 billion allocated.
Expanding RescEU
A central element of the commissioner's proposal was to reinforce the EU's RescEU mechanism, branding it "a European shield" equipped with advanced tools for prevention and response to natural disasters. He emphasized extending access to this resource for municipalities, aiming to strengthen local capacities with high-value European resources. This reflects a policy orientation towards increasing EU-level supervision and support for disaster risk management, marking a shift to a more integrated and cooperative EU framework with expanded powers.
Positive and Negative Impacts
For EU municipalities and local governments, there is potential for enhanced capacity and resources to protect citizens and assets. EU taxpayers might observe significant public investment but with clear objectives for sustainability and safety. The construction sector and environmental NGOs could benefit from new projects and conservation efforts, though increased regulatory demands might elevate operational complexity and compliance costs.
In sum, Commissioner Tzitzikostas presented a clear call for a cohesive and technologically advanced approach marrying local action and European coordination, signaling a move towards extended EU integration in environmental protection and disaster resilience financing.