On 2 June 2026, Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib presented the 2026 Wildfire Preparedness Package at the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in Brussels, describing it as the most ambitious and coordinated ever. Lahbib warned that wildfire seasons are starting earlier, lasting longer, and hitting harder, noting that wildfires in Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechia, Germany, Italy, and Poland this spring marked the first time such fires occurred in April and early May in the history of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The package includes strengthened aerial firefighting capacity, pre-positioned ground firefighters, and enhanced coordination and scientific support.
The package builds on the EU's Wildfire Strategy adopted in March 2026, which focuses on prevention, climate adaptation, and forest resilience. Lahbib highlighted that last summer over one million hectares burned across Europe, and the Civil Protection Mechanism was activated a record 18 times for wildfires. The 2026 package increases aerial firefighting assets to 22 planes and 5 helicopters on standby across 12 countries, including a permanent rescEU helicopter stationed in Romania. From June to September, nearly 800 firefighters from 14 European countries will be pre-positioned in high-risk areas across Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, up from just over 200 in Greece in 2022. A new regional firefighting hub in Cyprus will serve as a base for pre-positioning assets and training, and as a bridge of solidarity to South Mediterranean neighbours.
Lahbib emphasised that the EU is investing billions in prevention, citing World Bank research that every euro invested before a disaster can save up to ten euros in damage. The package also includes expert coordination at the ERCC from mid-June to mid-September to anticipate risks and monitor resources. Lahbib thanked ERCC staff for their round-the-clock work, stating that while her phone will buzz again this summer, Europe is ready to respond.
EU taxpayers benefit from prevention investments that reduce long-term disaster costs, but face upfront spending on pre-positioned assets and training. National authorities in high-risk countries gain additional firefighting capacity and coordination, but may need to integrate EU teams into local operations. EU firefighting services see increased resources and cross-border cooperation, but face logistical challenges in deploying multinational teams. The aviation and equipment sectors benefit from contracts for rescEU assets and maintenance, though compliance with EU standards may impose costs.