EUROPE IN FLAMES
Thursday, May 28
9:30-11:30
Josef Antall 6Q1
9h30: Welcome and presentation by Estefanía Torres (Podemos), Stelios Kouloglou
(Syriza), Marisa Matias (Bloco de Esquerda), Marina Albiol (Izquierda Plural)
9h45: Panel 1. Europe in flames: our forests at risk (40 min)
Moderator: MEP Lidia Senra (Izquierda Plural)
-
"The forest fires in southern Europe: a global problem” - Miguel Angel Soto,
Greenpeace
“Wildfires in Greece, situation and proposals” Ilias Tziritis, Local Actions
Coordinator, WWF Greece
"Wildfires in Spain, situation and proposals" - Theo Oberhuber, Ecologistas
en Acción (Spain)
10h10: Panel 2. Status of forest firefighters in Europe (50 min)
Moderator: MEP Miguel Urbán (Podemos)
- The case of Spain: Andoni Corrales Palacio, spokesman of the Plataform of
Associations and Unions of Forest Firefighters; Iñigo Hernández García, spokesman
of the National Association of Forest Firefighters
- The case of Portugal: Fernando José Simoes Gonçalves, Comandant of
Condeixa’s Volunteer Firefighters
- The case of Greece: Ioannis Kakalos, Vice-president of the Pan-Hellenic
Federation of Firefighters Unions
11h15: Debate
11h25: Conclusions and Closure
Context and justification of the event:
In the EU, the total area of forests and other wooded land occupy some 180 million ha,
representing approximately 42.4% of the total land area of the EU and exceeds the land
area used for agricultural purposes. Their role is essential both in the preservation of the
great ecological cycles, and air quality, thermal regulation, absorption of CO2 (10% of
emissions are absorbed by them), conservation of biodiversity, mitigation of erosion.
Furthermore, forests generate about 3 million jobs in the EU.
In the last thirty years, the fires caused the calcination of an annual average of 480 000
hectares of forest area, being over 95% of them anthropogenic. Approximately 85% of
the total area burned by forest fires is located in the Mediterranean region and Portugal.
Especially devastating fires occurred in Portugal in 2003 and 2005, Greece in 2007 and
Spain in 2006.
Despite these potential and problems, there is not a common European forestry policy.
The new European Forestry Strategy recently adopted by the European Parliament does
not address the importance that fire prevention has, limiting itself to set forests as an
economic resource. About 90% of EU funds for forests come from the European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER). During the last programming
period 2007-2013, some 5400 million of this fund’s budget was allocated to co-finance
specific measures for forests. However, as the European Court of Auditors has
recognized in a recent report, the resources of this fund for the prevention of fires
(measures 226) have not effectively result oriented.
Moreover, in countries like Spain, the professional recognition of forest firefighters as
well as their training and working conditions are far from corresponding to those
deserved by one of the most risky jobs.
Event’s main objectives:
- Raise the level of awareness among European institutions and citizens with regard to
the vital work of forest fire in Europe for the conservation of our forests
- Claim for an improvement of professional recognition and working conditions of
forest fire in Spain, Portugal, Greece and throughout Europe
- Raise the level of awareness among European institutions and citizens about the
severity of forest fires in Europe before the summer campaign, and about the need to
improve and strengthen the European mechanisms of information, coordination and
response; specifically the need to ensure increased effectiveness and relevance of
preventive measures against wildfires
- Remind the Member States of their obligation to implement national forest policy
endowed with sufficient resources and predominantly aimed at fire prevention, while
increasing the efficiency and transparency in the work of extinction.
Current situation of vulnerability to fire in Europe (May 11, 2015; 0:09)
(Source: EFFIS)
Current situation of vulnerability to fire in Greece (May 11, 2015; 0:09)
(Source: EFFIS)
Current situation of vulnerability to fire in Spain and Portugal (May 11, 2015; 0:09)
(Source: EFFIS)