Resilience in The New European Summer: Securing Farms, Forests, and Cities for a Competitive Europe
Resilience in The New European Summer: Securing Farms, Forests, and Cities for a Competitive Europe
June 30 @ 14:00 Uhr - 3:15 pm MESZ
The context
Summer 2026 in Europe will not be like summers gone by. The New European Summer, the one we have been getting to know over the past ten years, is one of ruinous crop destruction on European farms, life-threatening heat in European cities, and rampaging fires in European forests. In 2022 and 2023 alone, more than 100,000 deaths were recorded in Europe due to extreme heat. The loss of lives and homes is compounded by the economic damage, which devastates both rural and urban prosperity.
While public and political awareness of the problem is growing with every burnt house and lost harvest, the only area of consensus is that not nearly enough is being done. In September 2025, the European Parliament debated the growing challenge of climate resilience and representatives of the regions most impacted called for decisive action. This year, decisive and proactive responses are needed to help those most impacted by the New European Summer.
How this event addresses it
This event, co-hosted by Kristian Vigenin MEP und Grégory Allione MEP will bring together policymakers, scientists, and front-line workers – the groups whose insights are essential for both competitiveness and security over the short and long term. Building on these contributions, the event can deliver a European resilience agenda that is both effective and achievable, for this summer, and the summers to come.
Policy levers to be discussed include, for the short-term, ensuring that EU early warning systems are fully operational (via Copernicus and the European Climate and Health Observatory), that heat-health protocols are supported and coordinated across care systems through EU4Health, and that operational and financial support is available to under-resourced volunteer fire services strengthened through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, including rescEU.
Over the longer term, key EU programmes need to be strengthened to reduce summer climate risks across sectors. The forthcoming EU Climate Resilience and Risk Management Integrated Framework and the European Plan for Affordable Housing should embed binding resilience standards, scaling passive and district cooling and heat-resilient urban design to reduce urban heat. Implementation of the Nature Restoration Law should be aligned with fire risk reduction, supporting more resilient forest landscapes. Finally, future CAP reforms should include eco-schemes and risk management instruments that help farmers adapt to heat, drought, and wildfire through water-efficient practices, climate-resilient crops, and farm-level resilience.
Join us to learn how you can contribute to shaping the European resilience agenda.
Registrations close on Wednesday 24 June
Tagesordnung
14:00 – 14:10 Welcome address
Kristian Vigenin MEP, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
14:10 – 14:50 Moderated Panel: State of Play and Path Forward: Policy, Science, and Frontline Realities
Moderator: Dr. Kirsten Dunlop (CEO, Climate KIC)
- Grégory Allione MEP, Renew
- Dr. Elina Bardram, Director, Climate Resilience and Information Management, DG Climate Action, European Commission
- Dr. Daniel Zimmer, Water and Forestry Expert, Climate KIC
- Stéphanie Richard, Belgium-based nurse, Founder of Care-Act-Terre
Invited to discuss summer weather impacts and the near and long-term policies needed to ensure European resilience and competitiveness across farms, forests, and cities.
14:50 – 15:00 Call to Action
Gregory Allione MEP, Renew
15:00 – 15:15 Questions
