On Friday January 30, 2026, CERIDES – Excellence in Innovation and Technology at European University Cyprus Director Professor Georgios Boustras participated, by invitation to the High-Level roundtable on the Communication on integrated wildfire risk management, organized at the premises of the European Commission in Brussels. The roundtable was organized by Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, and European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, and Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy.
High Level Roundtable at European CommissionThe roundtable focused on how the EU can build a more integrated and holistic approach to wildfires risk management, the key changes that are required in the next five years, as well as the main obstacle that prevents sectors from collaborating. The group of stakeholders included a broad spectrum of experts from firefighters to academia, landowners, environmental experts as well as representatives from Member States, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions. The exchange will feed into the preparatory work on the upcoming Communication on an integrated approach to wildfires risk management, planned to be adopted before summer.
Wildfires – which are polluting air, damaging nature and biodiversity – are more and more frequent in Europe and have direct consequences for people and the economy. They occur in forests, open land and also in cities. They last longer and are more severe due to climate change. The record-breaking 2025 wildfires season, where over 1 million hectares have burnt, was another reminder that the cost of doing nothing is bigger than a preventive approach. This is why it is important for preparedness and environmental prevention to go hand in hand, as landscape management choices influence how ecosystems respond to fire.
Professor Georgios Boustras UNESCO Chair in Disaster Risk Reduction and Societal Safety in SE Mediterranean at the High Level roundtable