“The Solidarity Mechanism” of the European Union “makes it possible to respond to the needs of each of the Member States as soon as there is a major disaster”explained, Friday August 12, for the 8:30 am of franceinfo Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, while France will receive reinforcements in planes and firefighters from seven countries of the European Union to deal with the forest fires which are ravaging the south-west of the country in particular.
“Four Canadair will arrive from Italy and Greece, and two Swedish planes. Nearly 400 personnel from the civil protection forces will come to reinforce the firefighters on the ground, but also from the satellite image provided by the Copernicus satellite. This mechanism is a sign of European solidarity in the face of very serious fires.”
If France did not ask for aid earlier, it is because “We had the means to confront the situation on the ground. But the solidarity mechanism was activated this Thursday by the Prime Minister and we see the first means arriving in Morbihan and Gironde”, supported Anne-Claire Legendre.
European solidarity in the face of fires in Gironde: Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, explains how a “European reserve force” was set up.
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The mobilization of European forces has existed since 2001, “It is a civil protection mechanism which has been set up by the European Union and which is activated very regularly. In 2021, it was activated 112 times, in particular on fires in Greece, floods in Belgium. This mechanism is extremely active and flexible and it makes it possible to respond to the needs of each of the Member States as soon as there is a major disaster.”
In 2019, the European Union realized that it was necessary to strengthen these means of assistance. It has set up operational reserves which are dedicated and specific to the European Union. “Today there is a European reserve force which is made available.” This is the case of the Canadairs which are pre-positioned in Greece and Italy and which are operating in France at the moment.
These fires revive the debate on global warming. A European agreement plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. “It is a very strong commitment from the European Union, it is not threatened” despite the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the return of coal-fired power stations in Germany, affirmed Anne-Claire Legendre.
During the French presidency of the European Union, we supported a package which should allow us to meet this objective of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 55% before 2030, before carbon neutrality in 2050.
Anne-Claire Legendreat franceinfo
Even if the objectives are shaken up with the war in Ukraine, “the decisions that have been taken in recent months have accelerated our exit strategy from carbon resources and our dependence on Russian hydrocarbons.”