Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

Office: L-86 00/P084

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID

OPERATIONS (ECHO) Emergency Response Coordination Centre

Emergency Response Operations

Brussels ECHO.A.1/MG

CORRESPONDENCE SLIP

Addressees: Permanent Network of National Correspondents Civil Protection

(PNNC)

Civil Protection Contact Points

Subject: Wildfire Support Team in the ERCC,

2026 wildfire season: 15 June- 18 September

After many successful years, the ERCC will continue maintaining the ERCC Wildfire Support

Team (WFST) throughout the summer 2026. EU Member States and UCPM Participating States

(MS/PS) are kindly requested to nominate experts to take part in the team. The experts will support

the ERCC during the wildfire season by enhancing operational awareness, monitoring wildfire risk

in Europe, conducting operational assessments and supporting ongoing emergencies, and taking an

active part in the preparation of reports and documentation.

The composition of the WFST will be as follows: two national experts (subject to this

correspondence slip), one scientific expert from the ARISTOTLE partnership, and staff from the

ERCC.

In addition to being an opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices among

professionals, the selected experts will be able to be part of the ERCC during the summer season

and experience first-hand operational coordination through ERCC.

Responsibilities and tasks of the experts include, but are not limited to:

a) Support with near-real-time monitoring and analysis of the wildfire situation (fire

behaviour, fire potential, forecast, etc.), mainly in Europe and in the Mediterranean region,

b) Provide an overview of the wildfire situation for the information products shared by DG

ECHO,

c) Monitor the availability of firefighting assets of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

(UCPM), notably the resources registered in the European Civil Protection Pool and

rescEU capacities,

d) Follow-up on the pre-positioned ground forest firefighting teams in wildfire-prone

countries under the UCPM,

e) Follow-up and contribute to the deployment of requested assistance through the UCPM,

f) Contribute to the preparation and follow-up of the weekly coordination videoconference

with the wildfires prone MS/PS,

g) Contribute to the collection and processing of wildfire statistical data,

2

h) Share with DG ECHO colleagues their experience in wildfire management by presenting

their respective national authority emergency management plans and/or their involvement

in previous emergencies.

The experts will receive training on the ERCC procedures and tools. Two online training sessions

will be organized in June.

The Commission would like to welcome and host MS/PS experts in the ERCC for two consecutive

weeks. The monitoring cell operations will start from the week of 15 June and will last until 18

September (14 weeks in total). Nominated experts should preferably have attended UCPM training

courses. Furthermore, we encourage MS/PS to nominate experts who have background in wildfire

analysis. As communicated on 27 February (1), the ERCC expects Member States to nominate

experts who attended the wildfire analysis training under NERO. Nominated experts must be

proficient in English, both spoken and written form.

The Commission will cover the costs of economy-class travel as well as accommodation costs.

Nominations should be submitted by completing a online form by 4 May 2026. Please indicate

in the online form the preferred deployment time for each nominated expert. Experts available for

two continuous weeks will have priority.

While not mandatory, preference will be given to candidates who meet the following

requirements:

1. Completion of UCPM courses (e.g., CMI/UMI, AFFF, ODS).

2. Experience as a member of wildfire support and/or assessment teams within a

STAFF organization (applicants must specify their role and duration of service).

3. Educational background in forestry engineering, firefighting, or environmental

science.

4. Operational experience as a responder in wildfire operations and/or situation

room coordination for CP (applicants must specify their role and duration of

service). 5. Completion of the wildfire analysis training under NERO project

After filling in the online form, please share the experts’ CV with:

• Mr. Mihail GUTAS ([email protected]) and

• Mr. Moisès GALÁN SANTANO ([email protected]).

Member States and Participating States will be informed of the selected experts who will then be

contacted by the travel agent who will make the bookings and provide the electronic tickets and

accommodation details.

Yours faithfully,

Maria ZUBER

Head of Unit

(1) ref: Ares(2026)2193710

Electronically signed on 10/03/2026 15:00 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111

Office: L-86 00/P084

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID

OPERATIONS (ECHO) Emergency Response Coordination Centre

Emergency Response Operations

Brussels ECHO.A.1/MG

CORRESPONDENCE SLIP

Addressees: Permanent Network of National Correspondents Civil Protection

(PNNC)

Civil Protection Contact Points

Subject: Wildfire Support Team in the ERCC,

2026 wildfire season: 15 June- 18 September

After many successful years, the ERCC will continue maintaining the ERCC Wildfire Support

Team (WFST) throughout the summer 2026. EU Member States and UCPM Participating States

(MS/PS) are kindly requested to nominate experts to take part in the team. The experts will support

the ERCC during the wildfire season by enhancing operational awareness, monitoring wildfire risk

in Europe, conducting operational assessments and supporting ongoing emergencies, and taking an

active part in the preparation of reports and documentation.

The composition of the WFST will be as follows: two national experts (subject to this

correspondence slip), one scientific expert from the ARISTOTLE partnership, and staff from the

ERCC.

In addition to being an opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices among

professionals, the selected experts will be able to be part of the ERCC during the summer season

and experience first-hand operational coordination through ERCC.

Responsibilities and tasks of the experts include, but are not limited to:

a) Support with near-real-time monitoring and analysis of the wildfire situation (fire

behaviour, fire potential, forecast, etc.), mainly in Europe and in the Mediterranean region,

b) Provide an overview of the wildfire situation for the information products shared by DG

ECHO,

c) Monitor the availability of firefighting assets of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

(UCPM), notably the resources registered in the European Civil Protection Pool and

rescEU capacities,

d) Follow-up on the pre-positioned ground forest firefighting teams in wildfire-prone

countries under the UCPM,

e) Follow-up and contribute to the deployment of requested assistance through the UCPM,

f) Contribute to the preparation and follow-up of the weekly coordination videoconference

with the wildfires prone MS/PS,

g) Contribute to the collection and processing of wildfire statistical data,

2

h) Share with DG ECHO colleagues their experience in wildfire management by presenting

their respective national authority emergency management plans and/or their involvement

in previous emergencies.

The experts will receive training on the ERCC procedures and tools. Two online training sessions

will be organized in June.

The Commission would like to welcome and host MS/PS experts in the ERCC for two consecutive

weeks. The monitoring cell operations will start from the week of 15 June and will last until 18

September (14 weeks in total). Nominated experts should preferably have attended UCPM training

courses. Furthermore, we encourage MS/PS to nominate experts who have background in wildfire

analysis. As communicated on 27 February (1), the ERCC expects Member States to nominate

experts who attended the wildfire analysis training under NERO. Nominated experts must be

proficient in English, both spoken and written form.

The Commission will cover the costs of economy-class travel as well as accommodation costs.

Nominations should be submitted by completing a online form by 4 May 2026. Please indicate

in the online form the preferred deployment time for each nominated expert. Experts available for

two continuous weeks will have priority.

While not mandatory, preference will be given to candidates who meet the following

requirements:

1. Completion of UCPM courses (e.g., CMI/UMI, AFFF, ODS).

2. Experience as a member of wildfire support and/or assessment teams within a

STAFF organization (applicants must specify their role and duration of service).

3. Educational background in forestry engineering, firefighting, or environmental

science.

4. Operational experience as a responder in wildfire operations and/or situation

room coordination for CP (applicants must specify their role and duration of

service). 5. Completion of the wildfire analysis training under NERO project

After filling in the online form, please share the experts’ CV with:

• Mr. Mihail GUTAS ([email protected]) and

• Mr. Moisès GALÁN SANTANO ([email protected]).

Member States and Participating States will be informed of the selected experts who will then be

contacted by the travel agent who will make the bookings and provide the electronic tickets and

accommodation details.

Yours faithfully,

Maria ZUBER

Head of Unit

(1) ref: Ares(2026)2193710

Electronically signed on 10/03/2026 15:00 (UTC+01) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121