Switzerland Helps Fight Wildfires but Remains Excluded from EU Civil Protection

Bern – 12.08.2026: Switzerland is supporting European countries during severe wildfires, but it still does not have full access to the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. This special status particularly complicates the swift and binding coordination of aircraft, response teams and medical assistance once the capacities of an affected country are no longer sufficient.

At the end of July, the Swiss Armed Forces sent three Super Puma helicopters to Corsica to support France with firefighting operations. Two helicopters had previously been made available for operations in southern France. Firefighting personnel from Geneva were also sent to the French Atlantic coast. The support was provided at the request of French authorities and through existing bilateral and administrative cooperation channels.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism pools assistance offers from its participating states and deploys them in the event of natural disasters, health emergencies and conflicts. Resources that can be requested include firefighting aircraft, helicopters, firefighting modules, search-and-rescue teams and medical transport. Coordination is handled by the European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre. The procedure is intended to prevent assistance offers and actual needs from being brought together only after delays during an acute crisis.

Switzerland has been cooperating with the European Commission under an administrative arrangement since 2017. This enables it to exchange information and to offer or request support in specific emergencies. However, a legal obstacle has so far prevented participation on an equal footing: according to the Federal Office for Civil Protection, the relevant EU legislation does not allow Switzerland to participate because the country belongs neither to the European Union nor to the European Economic Area.

The practical benefits that the European system can offer Switzerland became clear after the fire in Crans-Montana on 1 January 2026. Through the EU mechanism, 38 seriously injured people were transferred from Switzerland to specialised hospitals in European countries within a few days. The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport described this support as essential for the rapid treatment of patients with severe burns.

The Federal Council was informed of initial findings from the cooperation on 20 March. On behalf of Parliament, the Department of Defence is now preparing an application to participate in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The key elements of draft legislation and various funding models are to be available by the end of 2026.

Full membership would allow Switzerland to request European resources under established procedures and to provide its own resources in a more binding manner. The necessary cooperation is already being tested in practice: the international civil protection exercise CH-MODEX26 is scheduled for October 2026 at the sites of Geneva, Epeisses and Payerne.