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Several EU states are taking active part in humanitarian assistance. For example, France's substantial contribution to the advancement of the humanitarian cause in the world is well known. Since the 70s, the French Doctors, the French civil society has given rise to a large number of highly professional humanitarian NGOs, with several of them having expanded a network of sister-organisations in other countries. French NGOs always present on the frontline wherever the needs are most dire – from Haiti to Darfur, from Sahel to Pakistan.

France plays also a leading role in the adoption of several key United Nations resolutions which have strengthened the international recognition of humanitarian assistance and the rights of victims (such as the UN Resolution 43/131 from 1988 on humanitarian assistance to victims of natural disasters which sets out a role for NGOs in providing humanitarian aid; or Resolution 45/100 of 1990 on the access to victims and the establishment of urgency corridors).

The Commissioner expressed her views on main challenges faced by today's humanitarianism, the priorities for humanitarian action and the partnership between the different humanitarian actors.

Main humanitarianism challenges

Today's "humanitarian landscape" has changed. The scale of the humanitarian challenges has grown bigger and more complex. The level of needs has gone bigger as a result of natural and man-made disasters. Natural disasters are more frequent and cause more damage.

It seems that humankind will have more of this type of sudden-onset mega-disasters which overwhelm the local and international relief capacities. No-one is safe from this, including the more developed countries like Thailand or even Japan the best disaster-prepared country. By 2015 the number of persons affected by disasters due to climate change will grow by 375 million each year.

Conflicts have decreased in numbers but their human cost has increased: we are facing more protracted internal civil conflicts and (30 to 40) situations of fragility and failing states. These result in more humanitarian needs as the civilians are subject to deliberate targeting and forced displacement.

Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. SPEECH/11/765, 16.xi.2011.

There is a growing humanitarian need resulting from the extreme poverty and vulnerability of people at the bottom end of developing countries. These are especially exposed to food and malnutrition crises as well as epidemics (cf. Sahel countries).

Humanitarian needs have not only grown bigger but are also more complex to address.

International humanitarian law

The shrinking of the "humanitarian space" means more security risks for relief workers. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is subject to growing violations by belligerents of all kinds posed.

There have been lately several kidnapping of relief staff in Somali and Sahrawi refugee camps. [The European Commission through ECHO finances several specific actions aimed at supporting NGOs security. The EU is also the main sponsor of the UN resolution on the security and safety of humanitarian personnel which is due to be adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2011].

The multiplication of actors (NGOs, private foundations and companies, military as well as the emerging role of nontraditional donors) has also added to the complexity. With their aid these have also brought a variety of motivations, interests and practices. The risk here is that competing forms of aid weaken adherence to those fundamental humanitarian principles that guide professional humanitarianism.

In this changing humanitarian landscape is the economic and budgetary crisis which put tremendous strain on public aid budgets.

Priorities for humanitarian action

The European perspective on the priorities for humanitarian action, according to the Commissioner, is composed of four key priorities:

First priority, the EU is to remain strong and firm on the humanitarian principles.  There must be a "space for humanity" in the most dire contexts, and there must a "humanitarian space" for relief staff to work. Adherence to humanitarian principles is a condition sine qua none for the acceptance and access of humanitarian assistance in crisis theatres.

With the European Consensus on Humanitarian aid signed by the three EU institutions in 2007 and the Lisbon Treaty chapter on humanitarian aid, the EU has a solid policy and legal framework. It explicitly recognises that EU humanitarian aid which is guided by the sole objective of addressing humanitarian needs according to the principles of impartiality, neutrality and non-discrimination.

By working together, on the implementation of the Consensus on Humanitarian, the Commission and the member states will stand stronger.

The political value of humanitarian aid, if any, lies in the influence of those very values it projects and the "soft power" it yields.

It has become lately a fashion to refer to "comprehensive" or "integrated" approaches in external action, the Commissioner added: “I am all for greater consistency, but in full respect of the autonomy of humanitarian aid decision-making and of our ability to deliver assistance to victims”.

Second priority: the EU needs to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian aid.

In the face of growing needs and economic constraints, the moral imperative alone will not protect aid budgets. The EU has to ensure that every euro of tax-payers' money is used to the fullest, to have the biggest impact on the ground. This is a joint responsibility which falls on all member states.

We have to be better prepared and more anticipative in the face of humanitarian disasters. This is the reason the strengthening of EU disaster preparedness and response capacity is one of Commissioner’s top policy priorities. “We need to plan and pool our various resources and instruments in a more effective way. This will bring down the costs of operations. At the Commission, we are also committed to cut red tape, to improve further need assessment and aid allocation methodology. We want to better account for results”, she added.

Humanitarian organisations have to contribute their part. A couple of weeks ago DG ECHO held its annual Partners Conference with a dialogue on how to increase professionalism and excellence of aid even further in times of tight budgets.

As part of the European humanitarian Consensus' action plan, the EU wants to ensure greater aid effectiveness between the Commission and the 27 member states. Coordination and division of labour in the programming and allocation of aid is a 'must'. The EU is not for coordination imposed by Brussels but a smart coordination exploiting complementarities, she added, with a need to maintain significant humanitarian budgets. The EU humanitarian budget has now reached an average € 1 billion per year. This amount will be secured in the future EU financial perspectives. “But we owe to the generosity of our citizens and to our Parliaments to show concrete results with their money. I am concerned they don't know enough about what we do together. We have all a responsibility in being more accountable and more visible so that our citizens take pride in our humanitarian action”, she argued.

Third priority: the EU has to strengthen the synergy between Humanitarian aid and development policy.

As disasters can wipe out in a blip billions of Euros of development aid projects, we need to invest more in adaptation to climate change and in Disaster Risk Reduction strategies. As we face more situations of fragility and recovery we need to better link relief, rehabilitation and development. Think of Haiti or Côte d'Ivoire. Such situations should no longer fall "between the cracks" but become common policy objectives for EU humanitarian and development actors. I would also like to highlight the issue of food and nutritional security as a key priority which has also been very much at the top of the French agenda, notably during its G-20 and G-8 presidencies.

The Commissioner reminded on her commitments to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations in order to reduce vulnerability together with Andris Piebalgs in charge of Development aid at the Commission.

Fourth priority: the EU has to strengthen the international humanitarian system.

With over 40% of world humanitarian aid, the EU and its Member States should be not just a "payer' but a key player in shaping the international humanitarian debate.

The EU’s common objective, as well as that of the member states, should be to improve the efficiency of the system. The reform of the humanitarian system under the leadership of the UN-OCHA has made some progress; but there is still much to do. The emergency teams, the functioning of the clusters, of the Humanitarian country teams, the interface with the UNDP and World Bank in post disaster or crisis need assessment exercises, all need to be improved.

The EU also needs improvements in the governance of the system, e.g. by the promotion of “Good humanitarian donorship” vis-à-vis new, non-traditional donors. The EU urgently needs to draw bridges with developing countries which tend to see humanitarian aid as a Western enterprise and an attempt to encroach their sovereignty. It is quite telling that the UN resolutions on humanitarian aid invariably polarise the so-called G-77 members against western countries. The EU has to break this stalemate as this could badly undermine the accepted norms and rules of humanitarian aid, including the respect of International Humanitarian Law.

To make the EU voice known in the world, we need the support of all member states and greater coordination between the EU members and the Commission.

Partnership between the different humanitarian actors

The whole work can only succeed if it is performed in close partnership with the humanitarian organisations, the EU members and the EU institutions: the power of partnership makes the whole bigger than the sum of its parts.

In that partnership the recognition of specific roles and competences is needed. Thus the states play the pivotal role in international relations. They are the signatories to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) conventions and as such have the responsibility to ensure the respect and promotion of IHL; not just as a matter of principle, but in concrete crisis situations.

Formulation of EU foreign policy and strategy should occupy a better place in the humanitarian dimension, by raising more systematically key humanitarian issues such as humanitarian access and protection of civilians through its political and diplomatic action vis-à-vis third countries.

The EU-27 military forces can also play a useful role in humanitarian contexts. They can contribute to the provision of relief and/or security. The humanitarian organisations, whether NGOs or international organisations play a crucial role as operators on the ground bringing aid to the victims but also as advocates of humanitarian aid vis-à-vis the states and the society. European Humanitarian Aid is at its strongest when combined with strong member states’ action and vibrant dialogue with the humanitarian organisations.

In 2012 the EU will celebrate the 20 years of ECHO; this is going to be a year of intense exchange, looking back at the EU’s collective achievements but also projecting an ambitious agenda for European humanitarian together with the member states and humanitarian partners.