EU Civil Protection Mechanism

I voted in favor of the report on the proposal for a decision on a European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The aim of this proposal is to ensure that the Commission can continue to provide emergency support to Member States in fighting forest fires through the “rescEU transition” in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), until the permanent European forest firefighting air fleet is available. rescEU was created in 2019. It funds resources (such as firefighting aircraft) to deal with emergencies in the Member States. These resources are under the control of the Commission, which can determine their use. When the last revision of the MPCU was adopted, firefighting aircraft were expected to be available in 2024. It now appears that delivery by a Canadian manufacturer has been delayed by a few years. It is therefore proposed that the transition period be extended from 2025 to December 31, 2027, in line with the current MFF. This will include the leasing of firefighting aircraft from southern hemisphere countries during the summer season of 2025 (and beyond), with the help of Commission funding.

Share this post