Wildfire prevention is not only about reacting when fires break out. It also depends on how Europe’s rural landscapes are managed throughout the year.

This was a key message from the ENVI Committee discussion on 1 June, where MEPs exchanged views on the Commission’s new approach to integrated wildfire risk management with Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality. The strategy was adopted in March 2026, following a year in which over one million hectares burned across Europe.

Commissioner Roswall stressed that prevention, preparedness and long-term resilience must be at the centre of wildfire policy. She linked fire-resilient landscapes to sustainable farming, forestry, diverse land use, reduced fuel accumulation and economically viable rural areas. She also underlined that land abandonment significantly increases wildfire risk.

The discussion also addressed the Natura 2000 network. The Commission made clear that nature conservation and wildfire risk management should reinforce each other, and referred to guidance showing that grazing and prescribed burning can be used in protected areas where they are compatible with conservation objectives.

For FACE, the discussion shows that protecting nature and actively managing land can go hand in hand. Farmers, foresters, hunters, landowners and local communities all contribute to maintaining resilient landscapes, reducing abandonment and supporting wildlife habitats.