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Regular EU exercises are one of the actions set out in the Preparedness Union Strategy to strengthen Europe’s readiness for complex crises.

'This summer has shown once again how much Europe relies on you. The wildfire season started exceptionally early in late April and put national services under enormous pressure.'

EU firefighting support to Serbia has been extended until 5 September, with 4 helicopters from the rescEU strategic reserve in Czechia, Romania and Slovakia and a ground firefighting team from Romania remaining deployed, as severe wildfires continue and strong winds are forecast in affected areas.

In the Hautes Fagnes and around Monschau, she will meet local and national authorities, first responders, visit communities affected by the fires, and see first-hand the impact of the fires and response on the ground.

In response to the worsening situation the EU mobilised 4 helicopters from the strategic reserve of the rescEU fleet based in Czechia, Romania and Slovakia, as well as ground firefighting teams from Germany and Romania.

The EU has deployed assistance to Belgium and Spain following their activation of the EU civil protection mechanism (UCPM), as wildfires continue to affect several parts of Europe.

The civil protection assistance complements the €2.1 million in emergency humanitarian funding announced by the EU on 12 August. EU humanitarian partners are providing health, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, as well as shelter, food, protection and cash support to affected communities.

Today, Hadja Lahbib is visiting Gironde, one of the areas in France most affected by raging wildfires, to express the European Union's solidarity, meeting with French authorities and first responders to thank them for their tireless efforts and witness first-hand the ongoing emergency response.

In France, the EU has deployed 7 planes and 4 helicopters from Czechia, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, and Türkiye. In Spain, the EU has mobilised 6 planes from Greece, Italy and Türkiye, and deployed 134 personnel and 41 vehicles from Portugal.

Today's announcement add to the €5 million life-saving assistance already approved at the end of June, and to the €52 million allocated at the beginning of the year to respond to the humanitarian consequences of the socio-economic crisis in Venezuela.

As Europe is fighting wildfires in several Member States, the Commission is swiftly mobilising assistance via the EU civil protection mechanism. France and Portugal have activated the mechanism.

In response to the increasing humanitarian needs caused by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, the European Union is releasing €5 million in humanitarian aid to provide immediate help to the most affected communities. It will focus on providing shelter and healthcare to those affected.

On World Refugee Day, we will recognise the strength and resilience of the more than 117 million people displaced globally. Forced from their homes by conflict, persecution, violence and human rights violations.

777 firefighters from 14 European countries will be strategically pre-positioned in high-risk areas across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. This is the highest level of participation since the pre-positioning programme's launch in 2022.

The recommendations focus on 6 key areas: risk and crisis communication, information integrity, inclusion, self-sufficiency, engagement, and education. 

The 3rd and final session of the European Citizens' Panel on Preparedness is from Friday until Sunday. After almost 3 months of deliberation, the 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 Member States, representing EU diversity, will finalise their recommendations on preparedness.

Since the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism by Spain on 6 May, the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre has been facilitating the safe evacuation of people aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.

This Humanitarian Air Bridge will deliver essential health and shelter items – from the EU's own stock and its partners – to the most vulnerable, reaffirming the European Union's solidarity with Lebanon and steadfast humanitarian support to the country.

The discussions take place after the adoption of the Commission Communication on integrated wildfire risk management and few days after the Commission adopted its Proposal for a Council Recommendation on this issue.

Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression, the EU has worked around-the-clock with Member States and partners to ensure that Ukrainian patients in urgent need of treatment can access care beyond the country’s borders.