May 31, 2023 - Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic handed the director of civil protection Damir Trut a decision on the allocation of funds for the purchase of two firefighting aircraft (Canadair) for Croatia's participation in rescEU capacities for aerial firefighting.

As Index / HRT write, the ceremony was held to mark the tenth anniversary of establishing the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC) and the beginning of preparations for the new firefighting season. Croatia is one of the six countries that will each acquire two firefighting aircraft with a total value of 104 million euros.

Croatian civil protection cooperates with ERCC

The goal is to strengthen national and EU capacities and the ability to extinguish fires in open spaces. The ERCC is an operational segment of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which continuously monitors events around the world and coordinates the efforts of the European Union in responding to disasters.

The Civil Protection Operations Center of the Directorate of Civil Protection is in continuous contact with the ERCC. They work together to collect, analyze, process and distribute data, especially in providing or receiving international emergency aid in cases of disasters.

Croatia should receive the planes in 2028.

In addition to Croatia, five other Mediterranean countries are included in the project: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Each country will receive two aircraft as part of this project. Since Greece and Spain are buying five more aircraft from their budgets, the total order will be 22 aircraft.

According to the existing delivery plan, Croatia should receive two new aircraft in 2028. This year, too, Croatia will participate in rescEU capacities with two of its Canadair aircraft, thus contributing to the strengthening of the ability to extinguish fires in open spaces. Operational costs for aircraft use are co-financed by the EC in the amount of EUR 1,800,000.00.

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ZAGREB, June 16, 2020 -  For the second year in a row Croatia's firefighting aircraft will be on stand-by as part of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (RescEU) mechanism, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

Croatian firefighting planes will be prepared to participate in the RescEU mission from June 15 to October 31, based on two models. Under the first model, two aircraft would fly to neighboring Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania and would return to Croatia each day, while the second model envisages missions of several days to more distant countries like Spain, France, and Israel.

A third model also exists where aircraft can be deployed to countries with a high wildfire risk and will be prepared to intervene if necessary.

The commander of the 855th firefighting squadron, Colonel Tomislav Vacenovski, said that together with other sections of homeland security, Croatia's firefighting system has also been strengthened and is capable of providing assistance to other countries.

"We have had 19 international missions in seven countries which confirms our high potential and preparedness to promptly deploy our forces not only in Croatia but in countries that request assistance," Vacenovski said.

RescEU is a project that reinforced and strengthened the EU's disaster risk management by upgrading the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and has the objective of enhancing both the protection of citizens from disasters and the management of emerging risks.