The European Commission announced on Monday it is spending €600 million ($650 million) from the EU budget to buy 12 planes to fight fires across the European Union. During the summer when “lives, homes and livelihoods are increasingly under threat to large scale forest fires” these airplanes will provide vital assistance, the commission said in a statement. The 12 planes are to be distributed across Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, France and Croatia, six EU member states all hard-hit by extreme heat and wildfires during the summer. De Havilland manufactured the aircraft. EU Crisis Commissioner…