EN    EN EN 
EN    EN  EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Brussels, 8.12.2010 
COM(2010) 722 final 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CO MMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 
The mid-term review of the European Consen sus on Humanitarian Aid Action Plan - 
implementing effective, princi pled EU humanitarian action 
SEC(2010) 1505 final 
EN 2   EN 1. INTRODUCTION  
The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid1, signed by the Council, European Parliament 
and European Commission in 2007, is the co mprehensive policy fr amework governing the 
European Union's humanitarian aid response. The Consensus outlines the common objectives, 
fundamental humanitarian princi ples (of humanity, impartialit y, neutrality and independence) 
and good practices that the Europ ean Union as a whole pursues in  this domain. The aim is to 
ensure an effective, high-quality, needs-driv en and principled EU response to humanitarian 
crises. The Consensus covers the whole spectrum  of humanitarian actio n: from preparedness 
and disaster risk reduction, to immediate emergency response and life-saving aid for 
vulnerable people in protracted crises, through to si tuations of transiti on to recovery and 
longer-term development. It sets high stan dards for humanitarian  action, including good 
donorship, partnership, EU suppor t for the international humanitarian response and links to 
other actors present in crisis situations. Th e European Consensus remains the reference for 
EU humanitarian aid, has gained the recognitio n and respect of the hu manitarian community 
inside and outside the EU, and has created polit ical momentum for enhancement of EU joint 
efforts in this domain over  the past three years. 
Since 2007, the EU has provided humanitarian  assistance primarily through funding of 
humanitarian partner organisations  to deliver aid directly to pe ople in need acros s the globe to 
ensure life-saving interventions, protection a nd preparedness. Together, EU Member States 
and the European Commission account for a subs tantial share of overall humanitarian aid, 
some 45-50 per cent of the total over the past three years. In 2009 the EU provided $US 4.25 
billion (€3.12 billion) of the total $US 9.45 bi llion (€6.93 billion) of official humanitarian 
aid2. The past three years have continued to see th e need for large-scale interventions in a few 
protracted crisis situations (such as Sudan, DR C and Somalia); the need  to react swiftly to 
rapidly deteriorating conflict- related humanitarian crises (for example in Georgia, Gaza, 
Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka); and to help pr epare for and respond to a growing number of 
natural disasters.. However at the same time the humanitarian operating environment, 
particularly in a small number of conflict zones,  is ever more challenging, with humanitarian 
workers' safety and security an increasing co ncern. Large-scale natura l disasters, (e.g. the 
Haiti earthquake and Pakistan flooding in 20 10) have required a massive international 
response to meet basic humanitarian needs an d to pave the way for recovery. The EU has 
responded swiftly using both its humanitarian aid a nd civil protection instruments to assist in 
these emergencies. This complementarity of inst ruments in first response to natural disaster, 
in line with the Consensus commit ments and international guidelines3, is an important 
element of strengthened EU disaster respons e. The Commission has recently outlined specific 
recommendations for a reinforced approach to EU disaster response4.  
However, the bulk of the EU's humanitarian ai d continues to support the victims of conflict-
related crises ("complex emergencies"), togeth er with a specific focus on people-in-need in 
'forgotten' humanitarian situations. Importantly , the provisions of th e European Consensus on 
Humanitarian Aid cover both complex emergencie s and natural disaster situations, whatever 
the scale, in order to contribute to meeting humanitarian needs.  
                                                 
1 Official Journal C 25/1 30.1.2008 
2 UN Financial Tracking Service Official = governmental aid 
3 cf section 3.6 
4 COM (2010) 600, 26.10.2010 
EN 3   EN This Communication seeks to reinforce the EU's  collective commitment to working together 
to implement the 'European Consensus on Humanita rian Aid' and in particular the practical 
measures included in its accompanying Action Plan5. Above all the Consensus encourages a 
coherent, well-coordinated and effective EU  humanitarian response that builds upon the 
complementary contributions of the 27 EU Me mber States and the European Commission. In 
the face of increased vulnerability in the poor est parts of the world, continued growth in 
humanitarian needs and tight pub lic spending in a peri od of economic downturn, the drive for 
the European Union to use its collective capacities  and resources efficiently to ensure the best 
possible impact in aiding people confronted by huma nitarian crisis is greater than ever. This is 
the context in which the mid-term review of  progress under the Consensus Action Plan has 
been undertaken. 
The mid-term review was conducted by the European Commission with the EU Member 
States, and in consultation with the European Parliament and the main humanitarian partner 
organisations. The Action Plan covers six actio n areas, with 49 individual actions some of 
which were intended to make a 'one-off' cont ribution and others inte nded to bring about a 
gradual on-going shift in the EU's 'humanitarian  business practice'. A detailed overview of 
work taken forward under the Action Plan to date, together with i ndications of further 
prioritisation for implementation within the existing action areas, is presented in the 
accompanying Staff Working Paper . This Communication does not  propose a revision to 
the existing Action Plan, but rather a number of  recommendations aimed at reinforcing EU-
wide implementation efforts. 
Strong EU commitment, together with a number of practical steps towards further enhancing 
the implementation of the European Consensus, is needed to ensure that the EU's leading 
contribution to humanitarian aid is effectiv e, coherent and more widely-acknowledged. 
2. PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN CONSENSUS ON 
HUMANITARIAN AID ACTION PLAN 
Given the large share of humanitarian aid it pr ovides, the EU acting together is particularly 
well placed to i) ensure that its humanitarian  response is appropriate , effective, based on 
assessed needs, and takes into account important dimensions, such as the particular needs of 
vulnerable population groups; as well as to ii)  exercise its collective influence on the 
preparedness of the international humanitarian system as a whole. 
The mid-term review has confirmed good overall progress  in implementation of the 
Consensus Action Plan across the board. Overal l, there have been notable efforts to 
consolidate the EU's role in al l six action areas. Only a very few specific actions have been 
redefined in light of developments or have yet to be taken up. A number of others - for 
example advocacy efforts for the promotion of th e 'humanitarian space' - by their very nature 
require continuous attention.  
Since the adoption of the Consensus and its action plan, humanitarian aid has become 
institutionally and legally a fully-fledged policy domain of the European Union , building 
upon almost two decades of operational experience. For the first time, humanitarian aid is given a separate legal ba se in the Lisbon Treaty
6. In Council, a specific preparatory body: the 
                                                 
5 SEC (2008) 1991, 29.5.2008 
6 Article 214 TFEU 
EN 4   EN Council Working Party on Humanita rian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA)7 has been established 
and is consolidating the depth of EU exchange on humanitarian strategic issues and crisis 
response in monthly contacts among  EU humanitarian representati ves. Parliamentary interest 
in humanitarian issues is strong, whilst the European public remains overwhelmingly 
supportive of European humanitarian aid8. The clear policy framework provided by the 
'European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid' has been particularly welcomed by some of the 
newer EU Member States, whose aid approaches ha ve been developing fast in recent years. 
Also since the adoption, the European Commis sion's humanitarian aid department - ECHO, 
became, in 2010, the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, under the responsibility of the newly created post of  Commissioner for Intern ational Co-operation, 
Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. 
With these latest organisational changes, the European Commission is leading the way to 
ensuring full complementarity and maximum synergies between traditional 
humanitarian aid approaches and the use of  civil protection expertise and assets , both at 
headquarters and in the field. 
Over the three years of implementation of the European Consensus, the EU has contributed 
strongly and rapidly, with both funding and advocacy , to respond to rapidly deteriorating 
humanitarian situations and major sudden-on set disasters, as well as to managing the 
challenging and changing conditions in large-sc ale prolonged humanitarian crises. A more 
strongly coordinated approach  between EU humanitarian depa rtments and EU field experts 
and representatives, which in turn supports  better coordination in  the international 
humanitarian system, helps to identify and pl ug critical gaps. A numbe r of changes emerging 
from the Consensus, coupled with a stronger EU  reflex to respond together to these difficult 
situations, have contributed positively to th e overall effectiveness of the humanitarian 
response. In 2010 the EU endorsed a specific policy framework for EU humanitarian food 
assistance
9 with the aim of maximising its efficien cy and effectiveness in accordance with 
best practices. Implementation of th is framework is now a priority.  
Under the Consensus action plan, the EU has moved forward in terms of establishing and 
sharing clear operational policy guidance on a ra nge of key issues, such as the use of cash 
and vouchers; nutrition in emergencies ; and integration of protection  and Disaster Risk 
Reduction  within humanitarian action. 
The EU has also continued to review its funding approaches and adapt to growing 
humanitarian needs , including in response to more fre quent climate-related small-scale 
disasters. The European Commi ssion has implemented a series of innovations in its funding 
and administrative procedures to allow for si mplified emergency funding up to certain limits, 
replenishment of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' 
Disaster Response Emergency Fund, to cover rapi d response to epidemics, and to permit the 
implementation of humanitarian actions with a larger number of Member States Specialised Agencies. EU Member States account for the largest share of contributions to common 
humanitarian funds  and the Central Emergency Response Fund , which have the 
advantage of flexibility for UN and humanitarian actors in terms of allocating resources. 
                                                
 
7 Council of the European Union, 8367/08, 28 April 2008 
8 E C: Special Eurobarometer 343 'Humanitarian Aid', July 2010 
9 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – ' Humanitarian 
Food Assistance' SEC (2010) 374 of 31.3.2010 and Council Conclusions on Humanitarian food 
assistance 9654/10 of 10.5.2010. 
EN 5   EN Furthermore, the EU continues to pay specific attention to so-called 'Forgotten Crises'  - 
those that receive lit tle media or internat ional donor attention. 
The EU has contributed to  continued improvements in  the international humanitarian 
system,  by strong promotion of an inclusive and pr actical approach to using clusters for 
humanitarian coordination in the field, and by  its firm advocacy and financial support to 
improving needs assessment capacities  and comparability. The EU has engaged with 
humanitarian partners in cont inued efforts to ensure the quality and prioritisation of 
humanitarian appeals, as well as a reasonable balance of fundi ng across crises and sectors. 
The EU has provided essential a nd continued support to ensure a strengthening of capacity 
to respond at a global level , including coordination, pre-positioning, humanitarian logistics, 
and safety and security of aid workers. By supporting capacity building efforts of the 
humanitarian community, the EU helps improve the effectiveness and quality of humanitarian 
aid. Enhancing preparedness and re sponse capacities is es sential both at the local level (which 
represents the first line of response in the event of an emer gency), as well as  at the regional 
and global levels.  
Working together more closely at the EU level over the past three years has already 
considerably strengthened the EU voice and coll ective impact on system-wide issues  in the 
international humanitarian response. The high- standard of commitments under the European 
Consensus and its Action Plan ar e well appreciated in the wide r community of humanitarian 
actors (United Nations, the Red Cross/ Crescent Movement and non-governmental 
organisations) and relevant inte rnational fora. With those commi tments comes a high-level of 
expectation that the EU as a whole, and the individual EU donor s, will act with full 
engagement to translate them into consistent practice in support of th e humanitarian response 
on the ground - including promoting coherence with the humanitarian pr inciples in all areas 
of EU external action. 
Strong and coordinated partnerships  represent an essential face t of EU human itarian aid. 
The EU strongly supports a plur ality of implementing partners , and underlines the need for 
close coordination of these partners on the grou nd in order to avoid ov erlap and ensure that 
humanitarian needs are adequate ly addressed. Finally, promoting participative approaches  
for disaster preparedness and in humanitarian  aid responses is also important, and can 
contribute to increasing local ownership, stre ngthening local capacity, and increasing the 
effectiveness and appropriatene ss of humanitarian response. 
3. SCOPE FOR FURTHER ACTION  
The mid-term review shows considerable efforts have been made in implementing the 
Consensus and its Action Plan. Nonetheless, there remains scope for consolidating collective 
EU efforts  and strengthening individual donor commitment  on some key challenges in 
order to ensure the best possible internati onal humanitarian response. This includes: 
• Strategies for humanitarian advocacy and outreac h; and further efforts to support the work 
of mandated organisations to promote IHL compliance, including with armed non-state 
actors10 
                                                 
10 Report of the Secretary-General of the United Na tions on the Protection of Civilians, S/2009/277, 29 
May 2009. 
EN 6   EN • Overall sufficiency of, and more effectiv e planning to maintain adequate funding, 
especially in protracted crisis  situations and to ensure ad equate attention to 'Forgotten 
Crisis';  
• Clarity of global needs and measures to s upport most efficient use of resources;  
• Reinforcement of capacity in critical gaps  at a global level - including for common 
humanitarian services such as coordination res ources, logistics, and safety of aid workers; 
and 
• A stronger commitment to promo ting the role of local actors. 
Further practical progress on disaster risk re duction and environmental mainstreaming, as 
well as on working with developmen t actors in transition situations  and in cycles of acute and 
chronic vulnerability is also essential. In situations of fragility in particular, where 
humanitarian operations and development inte rventions may coexist or follow-on from one 
another, complementarity, synergy and timeline ss between different interventions (sectoral, 
local, regional and national) is crucial for durable impact in pursuit of the ultimate objective of self-reliance for people affected by crisis.  
The need to support flexibility of response in varied crisis situati ons via a diversit y of partners 
and funding channels is well-reco gnised by the EU collectively, as is the need to ensure 
accountability and focus on results, notably th rough sound financial management and public 
communication. The EU as a whole contributes  significantly to pooled  funding managed by 
the UN and core-funding for international organizat ions, and as such also has a responsibility 
to ensure that this funding is allocated acco rding to transparent criteria, and implemented 
efficiently in line with the 'Principles of Partnership'
11. Some Member States and 
humanitarian partners have also pointed to the potential to work at an EU level on possible 
harmonization of partner and accountability requirements. 
4. IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES  
In 2008, the Action Plan was established by the European Commission in  close cooperation 
with a range of stakeholders, most notably the EU Member States who have committed to 
implement the plan. The plan was framed around six action areas in order to provide clear outcomes of individual actions. 
In terms of ensuring consistent implementati on of the European Consensus on Humanitarian 
Aid and a proactive pursuit of the Action Plan, a number of sy stemic and design challenges 
have emerged in the first three years, which should be taken into account in its continued 
implementation. 
Ambition and range of actions:  There is a wide-range of ac tions covered and these are 
variable in nature with a mi x of 'one-off' actions and thos e that are on-going and aim at a 
progressive strengthening of EU  humanitarian response. This ra nge and variabil ity of actions 
                                                
 
11 'Principles of Partnership – a statement of commitment' Global Humanitarian Platform, 12 July 2007. 
The principles of partnership between UN and non-UN humanitarian organisations meeting together 
under the umbrella of the Global Humanitarian Plat form are: equality, transparency, results-oriented 
approach, responsibility and complementarity. 
EN 7   EN has meant that a large number of  priorities have been taken fo rward in parallel over a short 
period of time. During the review  process, it was felt that a gr eater degree of prioritisation 
could be beneficial, focussing on a number of st rategic challenges. However, at the same 
time, individual stakeholders are keen proponents of their specific priori ties. A balance needs 
to be struck between strategic goals that will enhance overall effectiveness of the aid response 
and advancing specific practical measures that take forward co llective efforts in particular 
areas of humanitarian aid.  
Donor capacities and leadership : Donor capacity and resources (including staffing and 
humanitarian field expertise)12 remain rather limited across the EU and, together with aid 
budgets, are under increasing pressure. At the sa me time humanitarian needs are on the rise. 
Thus, working closely together as EU donors and ensuring a greater co-ordination of efforts is 
all the more vital. The scale of humanitarian  aid contributions, and operational expertise, 
varies considerably between EU donors. EU donors amongst the Member States with a long 
tradition of bilateral aid retain a keen interest in ensuring strong bilateral representation in the 
international humanitarian system, which th e EU as a whole firmly supports. However, 
without greater burden-sharing, pool ing of information and expertis e, and a clearer division of 
labour, the EU quickly reaches its limits in leadership capacity in making a concerted 
contribution to improving the overall humanitarian response. 
Ensuring consistency and engagement : While the Consensus provides a clear framing for 
the work at an EU level, the degree to which it has been explicitly acknowledged and built-in to existing EU donor practice and to policy de velopment at a Member State level varies 
considerably
13. During the review process, humanitarian  partner organisations indicated that 
there is scope for greater engagement at the national level, in terms of dissemination and 
dialogue with stakeholders on how the Consensu s is being implemented and by linking clearly 
to other actors and policy areas (notably deve lopment cooperation, extern al relations, defence 
and security) to ensure humanitarian pol icy is well-understood and upheld across 
governments.  
Monitoring progress : Keeping in mind the issue of capacity, no EU-wide monitoring of 
progress in implementing the Action Plan was established at the outset, though each year an overall summary of actions has been presented by the European Commissi on and discussed in 
Council, based on the EU's general tracking of progress. This mid-term review has 
highlighted that a more regular  monitoring of progress in impl ementation of the Action Plan 
as a whole at an EU-wide level, would be f acilitated by establishing a regular process that 
more readily captures information on contribut ory actions pursued by individual EU donors. 
Assessing the impact of the actions taken together in achieving improvements in EU good donorship, and in supporting the wi der-humanitarian system, is more  challenging still. This is 
at present partially addressed through clear outcome and output statements per action and 
action area. Assessing impact is an area to which fu rther consideration should be given in 
framing any successor to the current five-year Action Plan. 
                                                
 
12 M. Spaak, R. Otto: Revised Final Report 'Study on the Mapping of Donor Coordination (Humanitarian 
Aid) at the Field Level', commissioned by DG ECHO on behalf of the Good Humanitarian Donorship 
Initiative, 2 July 2009. 
13 From 2009, under a revised peer-review framework, the 16 EU donors that ar e members of the OECD-
DAC are asked to explain how their policy frameworks reflect the strategic orientations outlined in the 
European Consensus on  Humanitarian Aid. 
EN 8   EN 5. ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF THE EU HUMANITARIAN AID 
RESPONSE  
The Consensus represents a comprehensiv e forward-looking policy framework, which 
encapsulates a strong set of EU commitments th at are intended to ensure an appropriate, 
principled and eff ective aid response. 
To translate those commitments in the face of humanitarian crisis situations into consistent 
operational applicability, time after time, often in the most challenging of circumstances, 
requires strong political will, joint responsibil ity and better cross- government understanding 
of the humanitarian principles and modalities. 
Solid implementation of the Consensus by the 27 EU Member States and the European 
Commission, is essential for i) greater aid-effectiveness , including by the promotion and 
cross-fertilisation of best practice; ii) for ensuring coherence and consistency  in 
humanitarian aid and its inter action with other polic ies; and iii) for leveraging the full 
potential of EU leadership  in this area in support of a st rong international humanitarian 
system. 
The further implementation of the European  Consensus on Humanitarian Aid therefore 
requires:  
– Shared responsibility for success : Meaning that all EU Member States should 
reiterate their commitment to working together under the Consensus and to 
disseminating the Consensus cross-g overnment at a national level. 
– Division of labour : In recognition of the different capacities and trad itions of EU 
Member States and the limited human res ources devoted to humanitarian aid in 
donor organizations, there needs to be a m ove towards a more explicit sharing out 
of leadership and task-facilitation. 
– Prioritization:  Including further development of joint EU action in a few key 
areas 
– Regular  monitoring  of implementation of Consensus commitments 
– Proactive strategic exchange, dialogue and lessons-learning  between EU 
donors and partners to ensure good donorsh ip links clearly with operational 
practice. 
The specific areas that shoul d be prioritised for furthe r joint efforts include: 
– Reinforced advocacy for the protection of the humanitarian space , including 
the promotion of international humanitari an law (both general and case-specific). 
– Working with a diverse range of actors (incl uding the military), donors and 
crisis-affected countries  to ensure a strong unders tanding of the fundamental 
humanitarian principles and the Euro pean Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. 
– Multi-donor approaches to support clear comp arable identification of needs and to 
address critical capacity-gaps in the international humanitarian system , and 
EN 9   EN strong EU leadership  in international fora reflecting the full weight of the EU's 
contribution to humanitarian aid. 
– Response planning  especially for protracted cris es, including sharing of funding 
intentions, strategies and more joint missions, evaluations and lessons-learning, 
accompanied by better consistency in recording aid allocations. 
– Continued work on sharing and dissemination of good donorship  practices and in 
support of the 'Principles of Partnership' . 
– Enhanced role of the Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food 
Aid (COHAFA) to ensure the distinctive modalities and specific objectives of 
humanitarian aid are fully respected, whilst ensuring strong links between humanitarian aid and other policy areas. 
– Work with development actors on disaster risk reduction  and on the transition  
from emergency response to recover y, including early post-crisis needs 
assessment. 
The benefits of reinforced joint EU efforts to implement the Consensus and its Action Plan 
will be improved: 
– Understanding for the fundamental humanitarian principles, and for the 
specificities and challenge s of humanitarian response.  Better outreach could be 
pursued with a wider range of actors and constituents from the European public, 
to military command structures, to em erging donors and regions and countries 
with crisis-affected populations. 
– Effectiveness that emphasizes appropriatene ss of aid, preparedness and 
contingency and participatory approaches , which fully acknowledge the front-line 
of emergency response at a local le vel. Effectiveness requires a strong 
commitment to Disaster Risk Reduction and to tackling transition situations. 
– Efficiency, building on our donor diversity and respective areas of  expertise to 
ensure the best possible aid response. Bette r identification of n eeds and gaps, with 
more joint planning. Efficiency should seek to keep transactiona l costs low and to 
strengthen support to  common services. 
– Coherence  to ensure that the EU's extern al action as a whole safeguards a 
principled humanitarian response a nd supports the maintenance of the 
'humanitarian space' to operate in complex emergencies. The establishment of the European External Action Service provide s a further opportunity to embed 'the 
European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid' as the EU's humanitarian acquis . 
6. P
ROPOSED FOLLOW -UP 
The Commission proposes: 
(1) Identifying with EU Member States voluntee r facilitators and teams of EU Member 
State representatives who will commit to pursuing joint action under the Consensus 
EN 10   EN Action Plan, including discussi on on specific further priorities identified here and in 
the accompanying Staff Working Paper; 
(2) Defining with EU Member States and the Eu ropean Parliament a specific outreach and 
dissemination strategy for th e European approach to humanitarian aid, including 
common messages; 
(3) Engaging with the Council and the European Pa rliament on the feasibility of indicative 
long-term target setting (EU humanitarian goals); 
(4) Using the Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid for an annual 
monitoring of progress on Consensus impl ementation at an EU-wide and Member 
State level; 
(5) Renewed EU efforts on coordination of progr amming to ensure smooth transition from 
relief to long-term development aid. 
(6) A comprehensive evaluation of the impact of the European Consensus towards the end 
of the five-year period of the current Consensus action plan (that runs to 2013); 
(7) A revision of the EU's Human itarian Aid Regulation to ensu re it is aligned to policy 
commitments and allows maximum efficiencies  in support of a rapi d, appropriate EU-
led response to humanitarian crises. 
The Commission invites the Council and European Parlia ment to reflect on these 
recommendations for strengthening the implemen tation of the EU Action Plan and to take 
note of the overall progress covered in the accompanying Staff Working Paper. 
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