Europäischer Rechnungshof - European Court of Auditors
Forest fires: unclear results of EU-funded measures
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Forest fires: unclear results of EU-funded measures
- More EU money is spent on prevention measures on the ground
- Over 2 million hectares of EU forest have burned in the last four years
- Impact from EU funding unknown and long-term sustainability uncertain
EU funding is increasingly used to finance prevention measures against forest fires, but the money is not always spent effectively on the ground. This is the unequivocal finding of a report published today by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). It says that EU money to tackle forest fires is not systematically spent where needs and risks are highest, or with a long-term perspective, although it is crucial for getting tangible results. However, such an approach is vitally important, as forest wildfires have become more frequent and more intense in the EU in recent years.
While the precise amount of EU money actually spent on tackling forest fires is largely unknown, one thing is certain: more and more EU funding (in particular through the Recovery and Resilience Facility – RRF) could be used for that purpose. And because prevention is better than cure, EU countries now tend to focus more on preventive measures, such as creating firebreaks and clearing vegetation. In Portugal, for instance, the EU auditors noticed that the percentage spent on prevention rose from 20% to 61% between 2017 and 2022. Similarly, in Spain’s north-western Galicia region, prevention has made up the lion’s share of the forest-fire budget since 2018. These are encouraging signs, as experts generally consider this shift towards prevention as being necessary to reduce the likelihood and impact of fires.
Nevertheless, forest fires have intensified in recent years, in terms of both quantity and scale. Climate change undoubtedly plays a role in this trend. The number of forest fires affecting more than 30 hectares tripled in the EU between 2006-2010 and 2021-2024, reaching an annual average of almost 1 900 in the latter period. Consequently, the affected area has also significantly increased, to a yearly average of more than 5 250 km2 in the last four years. In other words, the equivalent of twice the area of Luxembourg goes up in smoke in the EU each year.
“Strengthening preventive measures against forest fires is certainly a move in the right direction”, said Nikolaos Milionis, the ECA Member responsible for the audit. “But to prevent EU support from being just a flash in the pan, EU money must be spent in a way that ensures best results and a sustainable impact.”
The auditors believe that the projects selected to receive EU funds do not always target areas where the impact will be greatest. In some Spanish regions for example, the budget was shared between all provinces, regardless of risks and needs. In addition, the auditors found some of the measures that were financed were based on outdated information. In Greece for instance, where the burnt area in 2023 was more than three times the annual average for 2006-2022, the list of areas prone to forest fires is more than 45 years old. In Portugal, the auditors discovered that a partly flooded area was prioritised to receive EU money to tackle forest fires. The reason was that the hazard map was not up to date, ignoring the fact that a dam had been built there several years ago.
All in all, the auditors conclude that it is difficult to know the actual results achieved by EU funding to tackle forest fires in Europe. But this is not only due to a lack of data, inconsistent indicators, or poor monitoring: it is also because the sustainability of financed actions is not always ensured, particularly where the RRF is concerned. Although the RRF has provided significant additional one-off funding (e.g. €470 million in Greece for preventive works and €390 million in Portugal), no EU or national money is secured in these countries to ensure that preventive measures remain effective in the long run. The auditors therefore conclude that the impact of EU action on prevention could be limited to a maximum of three or four years.
Background information
Forest fires are one of several natural disasters which have intensified because of climate change, burning large areas of woodland and leading to human casualties, biodiversity harm and economic losses estimated at around €2 billion each year. However, forests can be made more resilient to wildfires, for example through proper risk governance, appropriate forest management, and landscape planning.
Although the European Commission supports EU countries through funding, forestry policy remains within the remit of individual member states.
Special report 16/2025, “EU funding for forest fires: more preventive measures, but insufficient evidence of results and their long-term sustainability”, is available on the ECA website, together with a one-page overview of the key facts and findings.
Contact:
ECA press office: press@eca.europa.eu