This is a critical analysis of the causes that lead to the most relevant recent forest fires events in the EU, particularly in Southern European countries. The emphasis is on assessing to what extent have forest fires been influenced by forest management, extreme weather events and climate change, territorial planning/development regulations regarding the use of forests or burned areas, and inadequacy of response and lack of material capacity. To do so, two case studies were developed, one the Portuguese forest fires of 2003 and 2005, and one on the Greek fires of 2007. The study was prepared for the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

The report is also available at the European Parliament website

• Forest fires: causes and contributing factors in Europe PDF 1.2 MB