The acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has highlighted the experience of Spain in forest fire management, to become an international reference in this matter.
It has also highlighted the solidarity and commitment with the European Union, as well as with other countries, a collaboration that is reflected in the contribution of two Canadair aircraft of 6,000 liters of capacity to the system "rescEU transition" to strengthen the support capacities of Member States to countries suffering from forest fires.
The Minister, who has visited, together with the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, and with the acting Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the base of Torrejón, where the Canadair airplanes are located. used for the extinction of fires, he thanked the commissioner for his visit to see firsthand these aerial means that are part of the new rescEU system.
A collaboration, said the minister, who in addition to providing added European value, with a "Europe that protects", contributes Community funds to Spain, to cover 75% of maintenance and availability costs. In this way, he added, the community funds are added to the national budget that we already allocate to firefighting.
In the field of cooperation with other countries in the field of forest fires, Planas also recalled that Spain contributes to the European Civil Protection Mechanism with the support of Spanish experts who advise other countries with fire problems. A task in which the Ministry has been a pioneer in leading the coordination and implementation of this module.
In this regard, the minister has highlighted the extensive and experienced device available to Spain for the extinction of forest fires, integrated by technical means of large capacity and about 1,000 people who are part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and deserve recognition for their professionalism and dedication.
In this regard, Planas thanked the work of the 43rd Air Force Group, in charge of operating and maintaining the fleet of amphibious aircraft. An elite team, pointed out Planas, who for decades has been performing an essential task in the face of large forest fires, which is internationally recognized.