Greek wildfires vote gets overwhelming support from MEPs

A European Parliament resolution on the deadly forest fires that devastated Greece in July has been overwhelmingly adopted by MEPs in Strasbourg this lunchtime.

99 people were killed in Europe’s worst wildfires this century in the Attica region of Greece two months ago.

The resolution calls for the mobilisation of EU mechanisms to support fire prevention and emergency response.

This debate was added to the agenda on Monday upon the initiative of GUE/NGL’s Sofia Sakorafa (Independent, Greece). She said after the vote:

“By showing solidarity with the Greek people, this House has expressed its condolences over the deaths of the 99 people.”

“Our resolution also highlights the assistance provided by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and it pays tribute to the people who risked their lives to rescue their fellow citizens, and bravely extinguished the fires.”

At the debate on Monday, MEP Dimitrios Papadimoulis (SYRIZA, Greece) was adamant that strong EU civil protection is critical in future disasters:

“We must strengthen civil protection at the national and European levels. We must create a strong shield of European civil protection because climate change threatens even Sweden, as well as Portugal,” he said.

 
Videos of our GUE/NGL MEPs speaking at Monday’s debate are available here:

Nikolaos Chountis: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/EN/vod.html?mode=unit&vodLanguage=EN&vodId=1536604472806#

Sofia Sakorafa: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/EN/vod.html?mode=unit&vodLanguage=EN&vodId=1536604088981#

Dimitrios Papadimoulis: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/EN/vod.html?mode=unit&vodLanguage=EN&vodId=1536603886377#