Greece has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting urgent aerial assistance for fight forest fires raging in Alexandroupolis (North-East of the country).

This was followed by a request for assistance from Albania. Within a few hours, the European Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) was able to deliver a coordinated EU operation with aerial assets provided by Spain, France and Italy.

"Greece and Albania can count on Europe's support and I would like to personally thank the member states for their immediate response to a request for assistance," said Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis response.

"Spain, France and Italy have given a real-time example of European solidarity. The Monitoring and Information Centre is helping to coordinate the European assistance in the crucial hours and days ahead.”

Greece has suffered large-scale forest fires in recent days. On 25th August at 12.50 p.m. the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) of the European Commission and the participating states to the Mechanism received a request from Greece for 3 aerial fire fighting modules (i.e. a total of 6 Canadair CL-415).

The MIC immediately organised an audio-conference with all Member States which have such assets. It was agreed that two aerial modules will be provided by Spain and France through a project that is financed by the EU budget.

Moreover, through a cascade scheme, another aircraft will be kept on standby in France for possible deployment in Italy, which is also facing a high forest fires risk. This will allow Italy to send one CL415 plane to Albania and afterwards Greece. All the airplanes left their bases today. The MIC is also deploying a MIC liaison officer to Greece to ensure a smooth liaison on the ground between Greece, the Member States' modules and the MIC.