EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib to visit Cyprus for wildfire risk workshop

European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, will visit Cyprus on May 6–7, 2026. The visit aims to address wildfire risk management and broader inclusion goals. Lahbib is scheduled to participate in the 3rd Euro-Mediterranean Workshop on Fire Risks, co-organized by the European Commission, the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the Union for the Mediterranean. Discussions will focus on forest fires and industrial hazards as systemic regional challenges, following recent EU policy initiatives on fire risk management. Additionally, the Commissioner will tour a new EU fire response center near Paphos, which was initially announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The facility is designed to improve rapid EU intervention capabilities and provide training. The Commission highlighted the urgency of these measures due to recent wildfire incidents in member states, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic.