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 ...