Europe is burning, and we need the means to tackle it

By the EESC Workers' Group

This summer, the debate on 'preparedness' and 'readiness' has once again been brought down to earth by the harsh reality of wildfires. Beyond the obscure jargon of the EU, hard truths about our societies remain and they concern real, pressing issues.

As of 27 August 2025, more than one million hectares have burned across the EU, almost five times as much as in 2024. Extensive droughts, extreme heat and severe weather conditions have made the already deadly toll of every summer even worse, particularly in Southern Europe, including the deaths of workers and volunteers on the frontlines fighting the fires.

Climate change has already shown its effects, and its impacts are becoming self-reinforcing. The 38.68 Mt of CO₂ emitted from the fires so far is equivalent to more than eight million cars' worth of emissions in one year. This shows once again that climate change policies are not optional – the consequences are already here.

The issue, nevertheless, goes beyond climate change: years of austerity and budget cuts, short-sightedness and political bickering have left EU countries ill-prepared to deal with even normal wildfire conditions (let alone the extraordinary challenges that are alarmingly quickly becoming the norm). While the solidarity shown at EU level through resource sharing is very positive, the level of political fragmentation within Member States, the lack of resources and manpower, and constant political infighting have seriously weakened the capacity of emergency services to operate.

As climate change worsens and budget debates intensify – particularly around defence expenditure – it is more important than ever to recognise the need for adequate staffing levels and resources for firefighters and all emergency workers. Over and over, they prove vital in times of crisis (as we saw during the pandemic), yet too often they receive only lip service and are forgotten once the crisis passes.