What the Cyprus wildfires reveal about Europe’s emergency warning gaps
Benoit Vivier looks at the state’s response to the recent wildfires in Cyprus, highlighting the lack of public warning systems and the EU’s failure to enforce public safety legislation for the European Emergency Number Association (EENA).
Image by joker3753 | Freepik
On July 24, 2025, Cyprus was hit by a series of devastating wildfires in its Limassol district, claimed to be the worst on the Island in more than half a century. Fuelled by a heatwave that pushed temperatures as high as 44°C (111°F), the fires have claimed the lives of at least 12 people across both Cyprus and neighbouring country Türkiye and damaged dozens of homes, especially in Souni and Lofou on the Island. It is estimated that the fire decimated more than 40 square miles of territory within the first 24 hours of breaking out, prompting a response involving over 250 firefighters.
Following the tragedy, the state’s capacity to respond to this risk was questioned, with criticisms focusing on the absence of a centralised civil protection agency, the lack of co-ordination between different agencies, the non-implementation of preventive measures against wildfires and the absence of a system to warn the population quickly and efficiently in case of crisis.
Despite the European Electronic Communications Code making it mandatory for all EU Member States since 2022 to implement either Cell Broadcast or Location-Based SMS to warn everyone in a given area directly on their mobile phone, Cyprus has still not implemented this life-saving legislation.
In response to growing debates, the Cypriot Government has formally acknowledged that the long-anticipated nationwide Public Warning System has faced significant and persistent delays. The initial tender for this system, launched in 2022, was reportedly cancelled in May 2024 following objections from bidders, leading to a complete re-evaluation of the procurement process. A new tender was subsequently reissued in December 2024 for a project expected to be completed in 2026.
The European Electronic Communications Code was adopted in 2018 with a deadline set on June 21, 2022, for EU Member States to adopt a mobile-based Public Warning System, leaving them an extended period of three years and a half. The absence of such a system more than three years after the legal deadline is unacceptable. As tragically highlighted during these recent wildfires, the continued delay in adopting this critical technology directly puts the safety of people at risk.
While the Cypriot authorities are rightly criticised for their failure to implement public warning systems in due time, the European Commission has also failed in its duty to correctly enforce EU legislation. The Commission’s inaction comes despite regular warnings from EENA over these past years and is also endangering public safety.
How many more tragedies must we endure before the European Commission takes its role seriously and enforces a law designed to save lives? As the European Commission prepares a new proposal to replace the European Electronic Communications Code, its immediate focus must first be on ensuring correct implementation of all provisions of the previous legislation.
The tragic events in Cyprus serve as a heavy reminder of the human cost of delayed action. The ongoing failure to implement a robust public warning system is not only an administrative matter; it is a critical public safety issue.
This article was originally written for the European Emergency Number Association and can be found here.