Cyprus hosts high-level discussions on Mediterranean wildfire crisis management

On Thursday, Cyprus Minister of Interior Konstantinos Ioannou met with European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib. The meeting took place during the 3rd Euro-Mediterranean High-Level Workshop on Wildfire Risks, organized by the Cyprus Civil Defense. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between EU member states and Mediterranean countries to improve regional crisis resilience. A central topic was the establishment of the Regional Aerial Firefighting Hub (CRAFS) in Cyprus, which is intended to bolster wildfire prevention and response capabilities. Commissioner Lahbib visited the facility, located near Paphos, and described it as a strategic center for the Eastern Mediterranean. She highlighted the increasing difficulty of managing fires due to climate change, noting that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism responded to 19 requests for assistance last year involving 800 personnel and 60 aircraft. Additionally, officials discussed the ongoing revision of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism regulation to create a more robust framework.