Faced with increasing humanitarian needs around the world, combined with a shortfall in international aid funding, MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Development debated on Monday evening how to strengthen the EU’s humanitarian action.
Norbert Neuser (S&D, Germany) presented his draft own-initiative report to them, in response to the European Commission’s communication published in March on ‘EU humanitarian action: new challenges, same principles’ (see EUROPE 12675/1). All MEPs considered the draft report to be a good basis for work.
“We need new strategic priorities and policy recommendations to combat structural problems. These humanitarian crises are often caused not only by conflicts and wars, but also by systemic factors such as climate change, natural disasters, environmental degradation, global population growth and governance problems”, Neuser explained.
Serious humanitarian crises - in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Syria, and Yemen - for which action is urgently needed, will be the subject of further reports.
“This report aims to find new directions for tackling structural problems and finding solutions. I will only accept amendments that respect this framework”, warned the rapporteur.
He said that international organisations and NGOs will be consulted, and that EU Member States will have to do their best and take on their fair share of the financial effort according to their capacities. Unfortunately, “that is not the case, and it is unacceptable”, commented Mr Neuser.
His draft report recommends the establishment of an EU coordination mechanism, with which to monitor serious violations of international humanitarian law and to advocate for its respect, including through the use of trade policy or economic levers and sanctions against individuals or regimes when people suffer.
It emphasises the need for support for local actors, and urges the European Commission to develop a ‘localisation policy’ focussed on how to provide more and better support to local actors.
It also calls for the strengthening of the humanitarian airlift of the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
On behalf of the EPP group, Janina Ochojska (Poland) expressed concern that the funding gap would increase the number of ‘forgotten conflicts’. The EU’s commitments are, in her view, “a bare minimum”, which needs to be strengthened. She opposed sanctions for violations of humanitarian law, doubting their relevance to the protection of vulnerable populations.
Barry Andrew (Renew Europe, Ireland) said that he shared these doubts. His group’s amendments will highlight the need for new modes of financing, such as cash transfers, the digital tools mentioned by the European Commission, and the importance of developing cooperation with emerging donors, especially in the Middle East.
See the draft report: https://bit.ly/2ZxWG7H (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)