Article 7 - Legal measures to combat and prevent forest fires in the EU and Ukraine

Abstract

Forest fires are a widespread and dangerous natural phenomenon in EU Member States and Ukraine. Fires often occur due to people violating the rules of safe behaviour in the forest, and these fires are identified as 
environmental crimes. These environmental crimes often have severe consequences over large areas. The search for effective technical means of detecting and stopping forest fires, fire prevention methods, and creating effective rules and laws to combat forest fires are important issues for Member States and Ukraine. In this article, the author provides statistical data on the number of recorded fires, reviews the legal mechanism for combating forest fires in Member States and Ukraine, and reviews the means of forest fire monitoring and prevention. The author also provides statistical data on the number of administrative and criminal offences recorded in Ukraine and compares the severity of punishment for arson and forest fires with the criminal laws of Member States. The article presents conclusions based on the results of an analysis of the shortcomings of the national legal system for combating violations of forest fire safety rules and forest fire prevention, as well as recommendations for positive changes in the environmental laws of Ukraine and for solving problems related to forest fire prevention.