Antonio TAJANI, EP President, opens the EP plenary session (23-26 October) in Strasbourg. MEPs make a minute of silence for the victims of the forest fires in Portugal and Northern Spain.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

Strasbourg

EU - Spain (T)

natural disasters (T)

EU - Portugal (T)

SIVICKAS, Gintautas (LT)

THOMSEN, Britta (S&D, DK)

BERG, Eiki (EE)

Opening remarks by Antonio TAJANI, EP President: minute of silence for the victims of the forest fires in Portugal and Northern Spain and for the Irish victims of the hurricane Ophelia

<p>SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, <br />I would like to remember the victims of the forest fires that took place in Portugal, in Spain over the last week. As I said in my remarks before the European Council, the phenomenon is very worrying and I think we should pay due attention to it. This year alone in Europe, more than 750 000 hectares of our forests have been burnt. More than 100 people have lost their lives in Portugal alone. That is why I feel it is absolutely necessary and urgent for us to have European civil protection service that would simplify the legal framework allowing our population to get immediate assistance in the event of emergency. I would also like to inform you of the decision that was taken in agreement with President Tusk and President Juncker, to provide the populations affected to be given the money equivalent to the Princess of Asturias prize which was bestowed in Oviedo last week. This is a symbolic manner of expressing solidarity with those communities and families of the very numerous victims of the fires in Spain and Portugal. In their name, I would like to observe a minute of silence during which we also commemorate the Irish victims of hurricane Ophelia.</p>