Cyprus will receive two additional light firefighting aircraft through the EU civil protection mechanism for the summer, it was announced on Tuesday.

The deployment is included in a total of 777 firefighters from 14 European countries positioned in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.

The commission said this is the largest positioning of firefighting personnel since the programme began in 2022.

In addition to the aircraft assigned to Cyprus, 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters from the EU fleet will remain on standby during the fire season to assist member states if national capacities are exceeded.

The commission said the assets form part of the ‘rescEU’ framework, which allows countries to request assistance when required.

Coordination of operations will be carried out through the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which monitors fire risk levels continuously throughout the season.

Risk assessment and mapping will also be supported by the European Forest Fire Information System and the Copernicus satellite programme, which provides near real-time data during natural disasters.

The commission also confirmed plans for a regional EU firefighting base in Cyprus, expected to become operational later this year.

The facility is designed to accommodate up to six firefighting aircraft and will function as a training and coordination site for civil protection personnel from EU member states and partner countries in the Southern Mediterranean.