EU to Establish New Firefighting Base in Cyprus

The facility will serve as an immediate intervention and support centre for European Union member states and neighbouring Eastern Mediterranean countries.

“This summer, we all saw the pictures of Europe’s forests and villages on fire. More than a million hectares were burned. An area around a third of the size of Belgium. The scale of the damage is enormous,” von der Leyen told parliament. 

Stressing the effects of climate change, she added: “We know it is not a one-off. Climate change is making each summer hotter, harsher, and more dangerous. This is why we have to radically step up our efforts into climate resilience and adaptation, and nature-based solutions. But we must also give ourselves the tools to respond.

“This is why we will propose to create a new European firefighting hub based in Cyprus, which could also support our regional neighbours,” she said.

The location will enable the rapid deployment of firefighting resources across the Mediterranean, where wildfire risks are more pronounced due to rising temperatures.

Yesterday, Cypriot MEPs criticised the European Union’s response for its perceived inaction during July’s wildfire in Limassol, which killed two people and burned hundreds of homes.

Giorgos Georgiou, Michalis Hadjipantela, Geadis Geadi and Fidias Panayiotou accused the EU of failing to provide timely and effective support during the July wildfire that killed two people and destroyed over 120 square kilometres of land, homes and crops.

The 2025 fire season is a record year since statistics began in 2006, with Spain, Cyprus, Germany and Slovakia already exceeding their annual records in 20 years of recorded data. At least eight people died across affected regions.