Brussels backs Portugal to buy 2 Canadair planes to prevent fires like in 2017

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The European Commission hopes that the two firefighting planes that Portugal will formally acquire today, for 100 million euros in EU funds, will allow it to reinforce its fleet and prevent forest fires like those of 2017.

At stake is an agreement that will be formalized today by the Executive for the purchase of two heavy firefighting bombers that will be based in Portugal and will be part of the European Union (EU) Civil Protection strategic reserve, out of a total of 12 that Brussels finances with a total budget of 600 million euros (for Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Croatia).

“It all goes back to Portugal, in 2017, when there were very large fires in which around 100 people died and when it was realized that we don’t have enough capacity in Europe,” said the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, in an interview with Lusa news agency in Brussels.

Alluding to the forest fires of June and October 2017 in the country, which caused more than 100 deaths and 500,000 hectares of burned area, Janez Lenarčič told Lusa that that year “Portugal didn’t have that capacity of its own”, nor could it count on support from other member states due to a lack of available resources.

For this reason, since then, the European Commission has focused on preparing against forest fires and, after the necessary negotiations between the EU co-legislators (since Civil Protection is a national competence), has been in talks with the Canadian manufacturer Canadair, which were recently concluded, to reinforce the European fleet and the “most vulnerable” countries.

“With the signatures [between the governments of these six countries and the company] that we hope will take place this year, we should conclude this process. […] Two member states have already signed contracts of this kind in March, Greece and Croatia, and we hope that Portugal will do so […] and that Spain, Italy and France will do so soon, so that production can begin,” Janez Lenarčič told Lusa.

At stake is a sum of 600 million euros for the purchase of 12 new firefighting planes, which will be distributed among six member states, including Portugal, from 2027 onwards.

The idea is precisely that the 12 aircraft will increase the rescEU strategic reserve’s aerial firefighting capacity, with the European Commissioner talking about medium amphibious aircraft that are “popular in Mediterranean countries” because they allow water to be refueled at sea, in lakes or rivers.

“If you had to go to the airport to refuel, it would take much longer and time and speed are of the essence when dealing with forest fires,” says Janez Lenarčič, speaking of aircraft that are “the best possible option” because these countries are “never far from the sea or another body of water”.

The first aircraft is expected to take another three years to be built, so it won’t arrive until 2027.

Janez Lenarčiči told Lusa that although two of the aircraft will be based in Portugal (the Portuguese state will be responsible for their maintenance and parking), they could be deployed to other EU countries, as they are part of the European reserve.

The contract for the acquisition of two DHC-515 heavy bombers from Canadair will be signed this morning at the Air Museum in Sintra, in the presence of the ministers of National Defense, Nuno Melo, and Internal Affairs, Margarida Blasco, as well as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, João Cartaxo Alves.

Iris Lavan
Iris Lavan
With a background as a consultant in the medical industry, Iris Lavan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Portugal Pulse. Iris also runs a company in Tel Aviv offering marketing, business development, content creation and public relations services. She holds a degree in economics and management, giving her a solid grounding in business strategy and financial planning. Iris' commitment to Portugal Pulse is reflected not only in her consulting career, but also in her impact on the Portugale media landscape in Israel. She was an interviewer for Hadshot Portugal חדשות פורטוגל, a media outlet that broadcasts news about Portugal in Hebrew, where she provided valuable information on current affairs, healthcare and the economy. Since July 2023, Iris has also been part of the Portugal Pulse team.

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