Fires in Greece. When European civil security takes shape

(articles published in Mayors of France and Ouest-France, 2007)

Beaulieu 5-9, in the suburbs of Brussels, is the nerve center of the " european civil protection mechanism ". A big word for a perfectly ordinary office, where
somewhat less ordinary civil servants officiate. Here reigns the usual outspokenness of the “operatives”. Here, 24 hours a day, a European country in the grip of a calamity to which it cannot
face (fires, floods, marine pollution, etc.) can ask for help from their counterparts. Created after a series of disasters in the late 1990s - the sinking of the Erika, the violent
storms, industrial pollution of the Danube - the crisis unit of the European Union took over from a looser information system, set up in 1991. The attacks on the World
trade center in New York serve as a trigger. It implements the principle dear to the musketeers: " One for all! All for one ". Because Europe, when you add up its firefighters, its
diverse and varied equipment and its experts of all kinds, represents the first civil security intervention force in the world. The European cell aims to intervene on all types of
disaster of natural, technological or human origin occurring in a European country, or even in a third country bound by an agreement with the European Union.

An efficient operational system

This summer, when Greece's call for wildfires fell, it was already very late. The forest fires had taken on terrifying proportions. Fortunately, the European reaction has
been quick. Less than 24 hours later, two French Canadairs from Marseille were already in the area, two others followed the next day. " The best are the French »
we are assured, at European level. “They are the only ones who can drop while flying at only 5 meters in height”. In all, about ten Canadairs, five other planes and nearly twenty
helicopters from 14 European countries, Norway, Germany, Serbia and even Israel flew to Greece.

« European solidarity played a full role explains Hervé Martin, Head of the Civil Protection Unit at the European Commission. And it's not an empty word. Italy, which
had French reinforcements for his fires, agreed to have these diverted to the Greek fires. " It's worse with them than with us,” justified an Italian official. " We have not
never seen such a situation confirms Hervé Martin. " We are also at the end of the European capacities of Canadairs. If another fire breaks out, we will be powerless. Or
then it will be necessary to deprive Greece of means. And this is the second time since the beginning of the summer that this has happened again. We must therefore think of other means for the future.. » Otherwise
to buy new Canadairs, Australian or Canadian planes could be prepositioned in Europe in the summer or private means put on call. But it is a bit expensive.

Member States are reluctant to entrust a new competence to Europe…even if they are happy to call on Brussels for help when the fire burns. "The mechanism of
European civil protection has proven its usefulness says Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for the Environment. " But it can still be improved. We were able to help, but we have
also learned how our assistance can be improved. (…) But to realize these plans, we will have to have sufficient resources. "

Proposals of means

A proposal in 2006. In 2006, the European Commission put forward a series of proposals aimed at improving the reaction capacity of the Union's civil protection mechanism
European Union in the event of a natural or ecological disaster. When national means of transport are lacking, insufficient or inadequate, the Commission therefore proposes to hire the means of
transportation needed. In the event of simultaneous or large-scale disasters, the Commission may also mobilize additional equipment, in particular basic logistics equipment and
especially communication equipment.

A means of information
The Commission has launched on its website a daily bulletin called “MIC Daily” which serves as an observatory of natural and human disasters, in the making or in progress, in the world.
The aim is to inform decision-makers and crisis centers in Europe and abroad. The MIC Daily is linked to more than 50 early warning and real-time alert services as well as
hundreds of news sources around the world. It provides an overview of the main disasters (earthquakes, floods, forest fires, etc.), with hypertext links to
detailed reports, maps, satellite images and analyses. The general public also has access. Early warning systems will be strengthened to allow quicker intervention, as well as
coordination between civil protection forces.

(NGV)