The European Commission Emergency Response Centre (ERC) has been facilitating the urgent provision of assistance to fight the growing forest fires in BiH. Two fire-fighting jets, offered by Croatia, were deployed in the affected area as a result of a quick co-ordination operation done by the ERC.
“Yet again, European co-operation in civil protection is proving its practical value. Croatia, our newest Member State, is showing exemplary solidarity with its neighbour,” said Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
“We must remain vigilant – the forest fires season is in its midst and the risks are high
in most of Southern Europe. The Emergency Response Centre is in regular contact with the countries in the highest risk. We are ready to help if other fires overwhelm the national capacities,” she added.
BiH has suffered large-scale forest fires since early August. The situation has been most critical in Jablanica municipality (west of Sarajevo), where the fires became out of control and where a ‘state of natural disaster’ was declared.
The national authorities have already deployed significant fire-fighting capacities, including military forces. However, given the high temperatures, the weather forecast predicting more heat and wind, and the difficult access to the affected area, BiH asked for European support to extinguish the fires by aerial means. Following a call from the ERC to all countries participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Croatia provided water-bombing airplanes to its neighbour.
The ERC actively monitors the forest fire risks and evolution across Europe. It organises regular information exchange with the affected and uses national monitoring services and tools such as the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), maps and satellite images to provide an overview of the situation in Europe.
Background
The ERC co-ordinates assistance in the case of disasters and in this way ensures that help is efficient and effective. The European Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM) has been activated 18 times over the last three summers to respond to forest fires inside and outside Europe. During the 2012 ‘forest fire’ season, nine requests for assistance were received. Bulgaria, Montenegro, Albania, Slovenia, BiH, Greece and, Portugal activated the Mechanism requesting aerial means. In addition, the satellite mapping service was activated nine times in response to forest fires related emergencies. The ECPM facilitates the co-operation in disaster response among 32 European states (EU Member States, Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). All participating countries pool the resources that can be made available to disaster-stricken countries across the globe. For more information see:
MEMO /13/663: Fighting forest fires in Europe: How it works:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-663_en.htm
The European Commission’s humanitarian aid and civil protection:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm
Commissioner Georgieva’s website:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/georgieva/hot_topics/european_disaster_response_capacity_en.htm
Emergency Response Centre
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/thematic/ERC_en.pdf
