European watchdog organisation warns of mismanagement of forest fire resources
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Climate crisis drives surge in wildfires, but spending may miss the mark
BRUSSELS — As Europe faces an unprecedented surge in forest fires fuelled by climate change, a new report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA) warns that EU funds meant to prevent and respond to wildfires are being poorly targeted, raising concerns about the continent’s preparedness for future fire seasons2.
The watchdog’s findings reveal that while the EU has significantly increased funding — including through the €650 billion Covid Recovery and Resilience Fund — the money is not always reaching the areas where it could make the biggest impact.
“We found that more money is being spent on fire prevention, which is good,” said ECA member Nikolaos Milionis. “But the way projects are selected means the money doesn’t always go where it could make the biggest difference”.
🔥 Climate Crisis Fuels Fire Risk
Forest fires in the EU have more than tripled in recent years, with an average of 1,874 fires annually between 2021 and 2024, burning over 527,000 hectares each year — nearly double the area lost in the early 2000s2. Southern countries like Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy remain the most affected, but fires are increasingly spreading to northern and eastern regions, including Germany, Poland, and Sweden3.
The climate crisis has extended fire seasons and intensified heatwaves, creating ideal conditions for “sixth-generation” mega fires that are harder to control and more destructive.
🚨 Missteps in Funding Allocation
The ECA report highlights several troubling examples:
- In Greece, authorities used a 1980s-era map to assess fire risk.
- In Portugal, funds were allocated to a region that was underwater due to a dam project.
- Local fire agencies were excluded from decision-making, and some were given just 48 hours to submit equipment requests.
The temporary nature of the Covid recovery funds — which expire in 2026 — also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of fire prevention efforts, such as vegetation clearing, which must be repeated every few years.
🌍 EU Strategy and Research Efforts
Despite these setbacks, the EU continues to invest in Integrated Fire Management (IFM) strategies and Green Deal-funded research projects like FIRE-RES, which aim to improve fire resilience through innovation, land management, and community preparedness.
The European Commission has pledged to improve transparency and ensure that future funding is better aligned with fire risk data and local needs.
Read more:
/** * @file * News article: EU Forest Fire Funds Under Fire – Watchdog Warns of Mismanagement. * * Sources: * - The Guardian: Europe funds climate crisis forest fires – watchdog * URL: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/11/europe-funds-climate-crisis… * * - European Court of Auditors (ECA) – Special Report on Wildfire Prevention * URL: https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications * * - European Commission – Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) * URL: https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/recovery-coronavirus/recovery-a… * * - FIRE-RES Project – Wildfire Resilience Research * URL: https://fire-res.eu * * This documentation block provides source attribution for the article * and follows Drupal's standards for PHP API documentation. */
