2025 was the worst season of forest fires in Europe, with more than 1,000,000 hectares destroyed.

Omissions

• The exact Europe-wide burnt area was 1,034,552 hectares (Copernicus ESOTC 2025), while the EU-only burnt area was 1,092,095 hectares (JRC/EFFIS); the JRC's higher figure of 2,242,195 hectares covers all EFFIS-analysed territories including the Middle East and North Africa, not just Europe.
• Both primary sources were published before the session date (JRC article: 2026-03-31; Copernicus ESOTC 2025 released April 2026), so the MEP could have known them.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre (EFFIS) — '2025 was EU's most destructive wildfire season on record'In total, 2 242 195 hectares were burnt across all the territories analysed by EFFIS in 2025. In particular, fire destroyed 1 092 095 hectares (in the EU). 2025 was the EU's most destructive wildfire season on record.
• PrimaryCopernicus Climate Change Service — European State of the Climate 2025, WildfiresEurope as a whole saw a new record for burnt areas in 2025, at 1,034,552 hectares, surpassing the previous record of around 988,524 hectares set in 2017.
• PrimaryECMWF — 'Extreme wildfires in summer 2025' (ECMWF Newsletter No. 185)During the summer of 2025, Europe experienced its worst year of the past two decades for wildfires in terms of area burned, and total emissions of carbon.