“Lack of efficiency in fire protection” - Auditors criticize EU for funding distribution methods
The lack of up-to-date mapping data is making the fight against wildfires in Europe inefficient, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said.
The report analyses how some Member States use EU funds to prevent fires. While acknowledging significant investment in prevention, the Court notes that the data used is outdated and there is little monitoring of the actual impact of the spending.
The report examined projects funded since 2014 through the European Structural and Investment Funds and the Recovery and Resilience Instrument in Greece, Spain, Poland and Portugal. The auditors concluded that projects selected to receive EU funds do not always target the areas where the impact will be greatest.
For example, in Greece, a list drawn up over 45 years ago for areas at risk of forest fires is still used, while a partially flooded area in Portugal was prioritized because the risk map was outdated and did not include a dam built several years ago.
Meanwhile, in some Spanish regions, the budget was divided equally among all provinces, regardless of risks and needs. The three countries, along with France, are traditionally among the bloc's hardest-hit countries when it comes to this sector.
Forest fires have intensified in recent years with an average of more than 5,200 square kilometers burning each year over the past four years across the EU.
Member States have increasingly focused their efforts on preventive measures. In Portugal, for example, the percentage spent on prevention increased from 20% in 2017 to 61% in 2022.
In this situation, the real impact of EU funds on tackling the fires is unknown, say the auditors. They called on the EU executive to promote project selection practices, including the use of up-to-date risk maps, geographical coverage and risk-based criteria.
The auditors also urged the Commission to use information available at EU level through the European Forest Fire Information System, which tracks burned areas and blazes every week across the bloc.
The platform shows that more than 168,000 hectares have been reduced to ashes by June 10 across the EU, almost three times the amount burned in the same period on average during 2006-2024. Some 911 fires have broken out this year, a number also 2.5 times higher.
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