Six MEPs from the European People's Party, all members of the Environment Committee are to visit Pedrógão Grande and surrounding areas to collect information on the impact and consequences of last summer’s fires.
By looking at the progress to date of the reconstruction of properties, the replanting of devastated areas and the help given to locals, the MEPs are keen that Portugal accesses the European Fund for Strategic Investments to boost fire prevention activities.
The visit planned for the 25th and 26th of January, will cover countryside areas wiped out by the October 15th fires in the Central region and the June 17th fire at Pedrógão Grande in which 65 people died.
The politicians also will meet experts from the Independent Technical Commission that was created to analyse events in Pedrógão Grande before, during and after the fire. They also will meet representatives of victim support associations, forest fire analysts and local farmers' associations.
MEP, José Inácio Faria, said that "these fires have shown the urgency of strengthening civil protection mechanisms at the EU level."
Faria also hopes that "the Portuguese government and those in charge will be able to take full advantage of the European Fund for Strategic Investments,” by taking compulsory measures such as expropriating land to create the infrastructure, or even imposing the diversification of tree species where it is advisable.
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This is a country that can trouser millions of Brussels money to help integrate gypsies into society. When Brussels years later asks for measurable feedback it gets told that almost all the organisations that took the money had no contact at all with gypsies. Zero results!