Statement by President von der Leyen following her visit to the emergency response coordination centre

Published on 31 August 2026

'This summer has shown once again how much Europe relies on you. The wildfire season started exceptionally early in late April and put national services under enormous pressure.'

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EU further extends support to Serbia as wildfires intensify

28 August 2026
EU firefighting support to Serbia has been extended until 5 September, with 4 helicopters from the rescEU strategic reserve in Czechia, Romania and Slovakia and a ground firefighting team from Romania remaining deployed, as severe wildfires continue and strong winds are forecast in affected areas.