EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall Calls for Greater Nature Investment to Cut Wildfire Costs

The European Union will urge its 27 member states to increase investment in nature‑based measures and fire‑prevention programmes after a series of extreme wildfires this summer devastated parts of France, Spain and Greece. According to AccuWeather, the blazes caused between €15.6 billion and €19.1 billion in economic damage, including property loss, infrastructure destruction, firefighting expenses and anticipated insurance claims.

Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said prevention is the first line of defence and that the EU will monitor how national plans incorporate wildfire‑prevention under the bloc’s law on restoring damaged nature, due by September. She highlighted the need to clear dry vegetation, restore wetlands as natural firebreaks and to channel a larger share of the EU budget – with 35% earmarked for climate or environmental measures – toward these actions, noting that climate‑driven fire risk is rising even in northern countries such as Finland and Sweden.