Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus will receive two additional light firefighting aircraft through the EU civil protection mechanism for the summer, the European Commission said on Tuesday. The deployment is part of a wider seasonal mobilisation across several European countries.
Large seasonal deployment
A total of 777 firefighters from 14 European countries will be positioned in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. The commission said this is the largest positioning of firefighting personnel since the programme began in 2022.
Aircraft on standby
In addition to the aircraft assigned to Cyprus, 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters from the EU fleet will remain on standby during the fire season to assist member states if national capacities are exceeded.
rescEU framework
The commission said the assets are part of the rescEU framework, which allows countries to request assistance when needed. Operations will be coordinated through the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which monitors fire risk levels throughout the season.
Monitoring and support tools
Risk assessment and mapping will also be supported by the European Forest Fire Information System and the Copernicus satellite programme, which provides near real-time data during natural disasters.
Regional base in Cyprus
The commission also confirmed plans for a regional EU firefighting base in Cyprus, expected to become operational later this year. The facility is designed to accommodate up to six firefighting aircraft and will serve as a training and coordination site for civil protection personnel from EU member states and partner countries in the Southern Mediterranean.