The European Commission has reiterated that firefighting resources are pre-positioned in Southern Europe, including Portugal, and that the activation of European civil protection depends on a request from the member state.
Addressing concerns about wildfires in Southern Europe, the European Commission’s spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen noted that Brussels has not yet received any requests to activate the mechanism.
“We have helicopters and firefighters pre-positioned in France and neighboring countries, such as Portugal, ready to help as soon as requests are made,” said Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
Currently, the European Union has made available 22 planes and five helicopters for combating fires, with 670 firefighters from various countries deployed in Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, and Italy to support national contingents.
This wildfire season, the European Civil Protection Mechanism has already assisted in fighting fires in Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Albania.
The government stated that “it has not yet been necessary to activate” the mechanism.
The Secretary of State for Civil Protection said last Monday that “it has not yet been necessary to activate” the European civil protection mechanism to combat fires in Portugal, clarifying that it is activated “as a last resort.”
“The European mechanism [of civil protection] is activated as a last resort. At this moment, there are nine aerial means in Vila Real fighting the fire, and we have a system of 72 aerial means. Last week, during a critical week, we never had all the aerial resources committed,” stated Rui Rocha in an interview with SIC Notícias on the 4th.
The Secretary of State further emphasized that often aerial resources cannot operate due to weather conditions and smoke, as seen in the fires of Ponte da Barca and Arouca.
“So far, it has not been necessary to activate the European mechanism. If it becomes necessary, we will certainly do so,” he said, pointing out that the situation “is similar in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.”
Civil Protection: “There is no headquarters in Brussels with resources.”
José Manuel Moura, President of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, stated, also last Monday, that “it does not make sense” to activate European mechanisms to combat the fires currently affecting mainland Portugal. He also emphasized that “there is no shortage of means” and that the system “has provided a very significant response.”
“There is much talk about the European mechanism. I think some people do not even understand how it works. The mechanism comprises 27 countries that are part of the European Union and ten others that are not,” he said in an interview with RTP3.
He added, “When a country finds itself in an emergency or emerging situation, what they do is request Brussels to activate the mechanism. There is no headquarters in Brussels with resources to be activated.”
