BRUSSELS 4 Oct. () –
The Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, assured this Friday that the European Union and the international community must be more united to face natural disasters that will become more frequent.
“Let us not be mistaken: these tragedies are not an anomaly. They are becoming the norm of our common future,” he said at the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Center during an event with the Canadian Trade Minister. , Mary Ng, to celebrate the start of manufacturing of the 12 new aircraft contracted by the EU to reinforce its fleet of aerial firefighting equipment.
The Canadian-made DHC-515 Canadair amphibious aircraft will feed the European emergency fleet that will be installed in Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
“We are all clear that greater cooperation and greater collective resilience are in the interest of all of us. Together we must be prepared for this new and uncertain reality,” said Lenarcic.
Brussels announced in March the purchase of 12 seaplanes to increase the EU’s capacity against forest fires. The acquisition is partly covered by European funds, 600 million, and the fleet is expected to be ready by 2027.
Add Comment