EUROPEAN FOREST FIRE NETWORKS
The protection of the world´s environment cannot be effective without national and international fire management for natural, semi-natural and cultural landscapes and ecosystems for they constitute an essential part of the habitable land and the functioning of the global system. As fires do not respect national borders, the fight against fire requires a close cooperation with the national, regional and local authorities. After the 2003 disastrous summer, 9 Mediterranean regions decided to cooperate in a RFO INCENDI within the framework of IIIC South.The subproject results added to the fruitful cooperation made it possible to create a successful framework for the continuity of the cooperation with an aim of capitalizing the results of the first project.The Greek tragedy during three consecutive summers reinforced the partnership convictions of the need for continuing the cooperation explaining in the project the strong representativity of the Greek regions affected by the disaster.
We have to keep in mind that the Region of Western Greece was experienced a tremendous catastrophe : 64 people dead and 200 000 hectares destroyed at the end of August 2007. Facing the disaster, the european community mobilized itself. It was efficient, but not sufficient however that confirmed that an effective co-operation could be an answer to this ecological plague. Starting from this "black" period, the Union of Attica Municipalities with the support of their region decided to lead a capitalization project about the risk management of forest fire gathering 13 partners representing 8 Member States.
Within the EU territory, the competences on the management of forest fires are very different according to the Member States: this competence can be completely under the responsibility of the State (as it is the case for France, Poland, the Slovak Republic, the United Kingdom for example), under the responsibility of the Regions (Spain, Greece) or under shared responsibilities...
...between the State, the Regions and the Provinces (Italy) or mixed between forest private owners and municipalities (Denmark). It is why the institutional portrait of our partnership is very varied and reflects this diversity of competences.
The partners have identified as top priority 5 good practices gathering in 3  thematics to develop during the two years of duration. These thematics and good practices are :
a) Strategy of intervention (1-Interventions on starting fires, techniques of intervention)
b) Innovative Technologies/Cartography (2-Training with simulation tools; 3-Strategies of territory’s surveillance, detection and prevention, 4-Cartography of risk,hazard)
c) Restoration of burnt spaces (5-Technical restoration process of burnt territories).
The objectives and the results will be presented during 2 conferences (kick-off and final) where existing forest fires networks, policy makers, stake holders and EC representatives will be invited.