WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1202/97 by Ulla SANDBÆK to the Commission. Role of local organizations in EU humanitarian aid
Date: 1997-04-07
Institutions: European Parliament, SANDBAEK
Subjects: EU aid, EU financing, European organisation, civil war, developing countries, development aid, humanitarian aid, non-governmental organisation













EUR-Lex - 91997E1202 - EN






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91997E1202

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1202/97 by Ulla SANDBÆK to the Commission. Role of local organizations in EU humanitarian aid  


Official Journal C 367 , 04/12/1997 P. 0096 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1202/97 by Ulla Sandbæk (I-EDN) to the Commission (7 April 1997)Subject: Role of local organizations in EU humanitarian aidIn past years the Commission has encouraged partnerships between European development NGOs and organizations in developing countries. The recent Commission Communications on 'Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development' and on 'The European Union and the issue of conflicts in Africa' have stressed the importance of local organizations in the development processes and conflict prevention. Yet, on other occasions the Commission continues to stress the need for expatriate presence of EU-based NGOs in humanitarian aid programmes.1. Does the Commission have a clearly formulated view on whether or not to support NGO programmes that have been identified, formulated or implemented by local organizations in partnership with an EU-based NGO?2. Does the Commission agree that the insistence on expatriate EU presence in humanitarian aid situations can also be harmful to local initiatives?3. Has the Commission organized discussion meetings with its partner NGOs to discuss the pros and cons of supporting local humanitarian and development initiatives?Answer given by Ms Bonino on behalf of the Commission (30 May 1997)1. Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 concerning humanitarian aid ((OJ L 163, 2.7.1996. )) in fact makes provision for financing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with their headquarters in a third country.Nevertheless, in view of the difficulty of conducting checks on operational and administrative capabilities in the field in emergency situations, the Commission normally employs European NGOs which have signed the framework partnership contract in the field of humanitarian aid. They are recognized as being experienced in the operational area and, while cooperating with local partners, retain responsibility to the Commission for all their actions and for compliance with the principles governing humanitarian relief.2. In almost all cases NGOs through which the Commission finances humanitarian aid operations have been operating for a long time in regions with humanitarian emergencies and are not to be regarded as entities extraneous to the structure of the local society with which they cooperate. Bear in mind that humanitarian aid is generally directed at victims of conflicts or crises in countries where the local structures cannot meet humanitarian needs.The Commission encourages its humanitarian-aid partner organizations to integrate local operators into the process of implementing their projects. Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 also provides that local structures need to be associated in order to help those affected to regain a minimum level of self-sufficiency.3. The role of and terms for local initiatives in the field of humanitarian assistance form a subject frequently raised in the course of liaison between NGOs and the Commission. The point is to be discussed in greater depth at a forum on the ethics of humanitarian aid.