MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires – E-001412/2025

Question for written answer  E-001412/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew), Grégory Allione (Renew)

March 2025 was the driest month ever recorded in the Netherlands, leading to a record number of wildfires. France has already experienced nearly as many wildfires so far this year as in all of 2024. Climate change will exacerbate droughts and extend wildfire seasons. This trend is reflected by the increasing solicitation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Between 2007 and 2024, nearly 20 % of all requests for assistance were in response to wildfires. Considering the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, we have the following questions:

• 1.What is the Commission’s projection of the costs of wildfires in the EU in the coming 10 years, and will these costs be taken into account in the next multiannual financial framework and in the EU’s industrial strategy, in particular as regards the funding of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the development of European firefighting aircraft and the strengthening of the European aerial firefighting industry?
• 2.How will the increasing frequency of wildfires impact insurance for citizens and entrepreneurs in high-risk areas, and what steps is the Commission taking to address this?
• 3.What amount of the LIFE Programme subsidies is allocated to drought prevention and what other EU programmes are (partly) dedicated to this, and how much EU funding is allocated in total to drought prevention?

Submitted: 7.4.2025