The "Harmonised fire statistics as a tool for enhancing pan-European fire safety efforts" (EU FIRESTAT 2) project officially kicked into higher gear this week with the initial steering committee meeting on 14 April 2026. This preparatory action, mandated by the European Commission and funded by the European Parliament, builds on a previous study that identified significant data gaps in how different Member States report fire incidents. By formally initiating this phase, the European Union aims to move beyond theoretical frameworks towards a functional system that enables rigorous comparison of fire safety performance across national jurisdictions.

The consortium is led by Efectis, with CTIF, DBI, Teched, the University of Liverpool and ZAG also participating. The project’s methodology will focus on standardising fourteen specific variables, ranging from ignition sources to the performance of active fire protection systems, to ensure that the nomenclature used locally is compatible with a pan-European database. This technical harmonisation is critical for developing evidence-based building codes and assessing the socio-economic impact of fires, as it mitigates the fragmentation caused by diverse national reporting standards.

Researchers Dr Aleš Jug, Prof Grunde Jomaas and Nik Rus will represent ZAG in this project, contributing their experience and understanding from comparing different national fire datasets and examining how differences in collection methods impact the outcomes of subsequent statistical analyses, particularly in the field of PV-related fires.