Cantabria’s Minister for the Presidency, Justice, Security and Administrative Simplification, María Isabel Urrutia de los Mozos, called for extraordinary European Union aid and a stronger prevention policy against droughts and Brussels at the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions in Wildfires She called for direct support for the sectors most affected and a coordinated European strategy to help regions such as Cantabria prepare better for climate-related emergencies.
According to regional government the ongoing water shortage is now affecting Atlantic areas too. Cantabria has reportedly seen significant losses in fodder production, averaging about a quarter and rising to around a third in some districts. Livestock farming has been particularly affected, responding with higher feed costs and early decisions to move animals off summer pastures. The regional government puts the amount of its own funds mobilised so far at around three million euros, but points out that the autonomous communities cannot bear the financial burden alone.
Urrutia linked the calls for aid to the connection between droughtand wildfire risks. Prevention and adaptation must be planned together, for example through improved land management, early risk maps, training and equipment for emergency services, and investment in resilience at municipal and regional level. She also called for greater coordination between national authorities, the European Union and the autonomous communities to avoid duplication and target funding effectively.
The European Committee of the Regions regularly discusses the impact of European policy on local and regional authorities. Urrutia’s appearance took place during the plenary session and followed ongoing discussions in Brussels on preparing for extreme weather and adapting to climate change. According to sources at the meeting, no specific new decisions on extraordinary aid were announced in the debate. Further negotiations on possible measures now rest with the governments of the member states and the European institutions.
Politically, Cantabria’s initiative aims to cushion the effects of climate extremes on the primary sector and civil protection, and to strengthen the region’s ability to act. The regional government points to the rising costs of recurring dry spells and longer fire seasons. In Cantabria’s view, calling for a European culture of preparedness should reduce future damage by creating incentives for prevention, risk-sharing and rapid recovery.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).