The European Commission publishes a Communication on wildfire management
In view of the fact that in 2025 the total area burnt in the EU exceeded one million hectares for the first time, the European Commission published a Communication on the integrated management of forest fire risk last March, setting out the EU's strategic approach to an ever-growing threat.
The Communication adopts an integrated approach that covers the entire disaster risk management cycle, from prevention and preparedness to response and recovery. It recognises that wildfires constitute a systemic risk for the EU that requires coordinated action across different policy areas, governance levels and stakeholder groups, while stating that the responsibility for implementation lies primarily with the Member States and with forest owners and managers.
The Communication explicitly recognises active and sustainable forest management as the cornerstone of resilience against wildfires. The Commission commits to collecting and disseminating best practices in the sustainable management of combustible vegetation, and to presenting, by 2027, effective practices demonstrated through EU-funded research projects.
Furthermore, the Communication confirms that the Common Agricultural Policy must continue to be the EU's main funding instrument for forest fire prevention in the next programming period (2028–2034), encompassing investments in active and sustainable forest management, including thinning, pruning, species diversification, clearings and forest road infrastructure.
It also refers to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy as a tool to mobilise underutilised biomass in fire-prone regions and strengthen rural value chains. The Commission simultaneously published its Guidelines on Natura 2000 and climate change, which aim to promote fuel reduction measures compatible with conservation objectives. It also announced a Council Recommendation on the integrated management of wildfire risk.
The full text of the Communication can be read in English at this link.
