To address growing humanitarian needs around the world in the context of a global humanitarian funding gap, the European Parliament calls for a stronger, more predictable and flexible EU humanitarian budget.
On the basis of the own-initiative report by Norbert Neuser (S&D, Germany), the resolution on future EU humanitarian action was adopted on Thursday 16 December by a large majority (551 votes in favour, 63 against and 83 abstentions) (see EUROPE 12829/19). In response to a Commission communication, the report sets out Parliament's strategic priorities and policy recommendations ahead of the EU Humanitarian Forum, scheduled for 24-26 January 2022.
Thus, Parliament calls on the Commission to provide an annual budget that would ensure timely, predictable and flexible funding for humanitarian aid from the beginning of each financial year, both for protracted crises and for the response to new crises.
The institution also calls for the EU to advocate for increased global humanitarian funding.
Member States are asked to set an example by allocating a fixed share of their gross national income to humanitarian aid.
Climate change and environmental crises must be at the heart of any future EU humanitarian action strategy, stress MEPs.
They recommend that the Commission assess the role of gender in humanitarian crises, as women and girls are often disproportionately affected by conflicts and crises.
During the debate, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič assured MEPs that the Commission was already in talks with traditional and non-traditional donors to expand the financial resource base in the EU and internationally.
He also indicated that programmatic partnerships have been launched with the Red Cross, UNICEF and FAO. In addition, the Commission is “developing a new EU response capability based on the EU humanitarian airlift”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)