If there is one Member State in our Union that embodies European solidarity, it is Romania. Today I am here today to say thank you.
Thank you for your leadership on preparedness and civil protection and for your commitment to equality and non-discrimination. I also met civil society organisations here in Romania.
Allow me to connect the dots between the different areas of my portfolio. If we want to build resilient societies, we must make sure that no one is left behind. Because at the centre of preparedness are our citizens.
We must make sure that everyone can participate in their own resilience. I will share with you an experience I had when I visited Sweden. The first piece of advice in their Just in Case preparedness brochure is to get to know your neighbours because they will be the first to help in an emergency.
It strengthens the cohesion our communities. Strong, fair societies are more resilient societies, especially when crisis strikes, so I have come to Romania with a strong message of equality.
Today's crises are faster and more complex than ever before. Wars, drone attacks, sabotage, wildfires, hybrid attacks, health emergencies. That is why I wanted to meet Romania's emergency services, longstanding European partners, and among the most active members of our EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Romania has built a strong emergency response system. But what stands out is this: you put it at the service of others.
One number says it all: in the last ten years, Romania has asked Europe for help through our Civil Protection Mechanism ten times. Over those same ten years, Romania has answered the call of others 49 times. 49 times Romania stepped forward to provide assistance to countries in need.
That is a powerful commitment to European solidarity.
This is what our Civil Protection Mechanism is built to do. When one country is overwhelmed and asks for help, Europe moves fast. Our Civil Protection Mechanism leaps into action. Within hours, firefighters are crossing borders, aircraft are taking to the skies, and European teams are working side by side with national responders.
One country calls. Europe answers.
And it is not only about fires, floods, or earthquakes. It is about getting people urgently to the medical care they need. Romania has helped evacuate more than 180 patients from Gaza, Ukraine, North Macedonia, and Switzerland to hospitals across Europe, including 57 children from Gaza.
This year, wildfire season started early, at the end of April, and it hit hard. So Europe prepared early too. We pre-positioned nearly 800 firefighters from 14 countries in high-risk areas before the worst fires began. Romania sent 200 of them, more than one in four of all the firefighters pre-positioned across Europe came from Romania.
Romania was there when France called: eighty firefighters were pre-positioned there. And when France activated the Mechanism, forty of them moved straight to Bordeaux.
Romania is there for Greece right now. 120 Romanian firefighters are still on the ground, working with local teams until next week. That is the point of pre-positioning: building trust and learning the local terrain, before the flames ignite.
The first aircraft of the rescEU European fleet, a new helicopter based in Romania, is already flying missions. When Serbia asked for help through our Civil Protection Mechanism, Romania quickly sent aircraft and ground teams.
A European helicopter based in Romania, protecting people across Europe. That, in one sentence, is European solidarity.
Dr Arafat, thank you again for your warm welcome. It is an honour to be here. Because of you, millions of Europeans sleep more safely at night. I thank you. All of Europe thanks you.
