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Humanitarian aid

The European Union is the world's leading provider of humanitarian aid. This aid – not just money but also goods, services and technical assistance – helps beneficiaries prepare for and deal with major disasters outside the EU, whether natural, man-made or structural.

It consists of 3 broad types: emergency aid, food aid, and aid for refugees.

In providing aid, the EU seeks to be impartial and independent. The work is coordinated by its aid office, ECHO, which cooperates closely with partner bodies implementing aid on the ground, especially the UN and non-governmental organisations, such as charities.

• Legislative instruments
• Preparatory acts
• Other acts

Legislative instruments

• 31996R1257
  

  Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid

  Official Journal L 163 , 02/07/1996 P. 0001 - 0006

• 22000A1215(01)
  

  2000/483/EC: Partnership agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 - Protocols - Final Act - Declarations

  Official Journal L 317 , 15/12/2000 P. 0003 - 0353

• 22002D0911
  

  2002/911/EC: Decision No 2/2002 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 7 October 2002 regarding the implementation of Articles 28, 29 and 30 of Annex IV to the Cotonou Agreement

  Official Journal L 320 , 23/11/2002 P. 0001 - 0039

• 22007D0460
  

  2007/460/EC: Decision No 1/2007 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 25 May 2007 on reassigning part of the reserve of the Ninth European Development Fund (EDF) envelope for long-term development to the allocation for intra-ACP cooperation in the Ninth EDF envelope for regional cooperation and integration

  Official Journal L 175 , 05/07/2007 P. 0031 - 0034

• 31998D0216
  

  98/216/EC: Council Decision of 9 March 1998 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the United Nations Convention to combat desertification in countries seriously affected by drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa

  Official Journal L 083 , 19/03/1998 P. 0001 - 0002

• 31981R3245
  

  Council Regulation (EEC) No 3245/81 of 26 October 1981 setting up a European Agency for Cooperation

  Official Journal L 328 , 16/11/1981 P. 0001 - 0004

• 32006D0906
  

  2006/906/EC: Council Decision of 30 November 2006 establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the Community within the Food Aid Committee as regards the extension of the Food Aid Convention 1999

  Official Journal L 346 , 09/12/2006 P. 0026 - 0026

  Official Journal L 335 , 13/12/2008 P. 0543 - 0545

• 32007R1374
  

  Commission Regulation (EC) No 1374/2007 of 23 November 2007 fixing the refunds applicable to cereal and rice sector products supplied as Community and national food aid

  Official Journal L 307 , 24/11/2007 P. 0003 - 0004

• 41991A0401
  

  91/401/EEC: Internal Agreement on the financing and administration of Community aid under the fourth ACP-EEC Convention

  Official Journal L 229 , 17/08/1991 P. 0288 - 0300

• 32006R1905
  

  Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation

  Official Journal L 378 , 27/12/2006 P. 0041 - 0071

• 32005D0160
  

  2005/160/EC: Commission Decision of 27 October 2004 approving the exchange of letters between the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the Commission of the European Communities concerning their cooperation in the framework of disaster response (in case of simultaneous interventions in a country affected by a disaster) (Text with EEA relevance)

  Official Journal L 052 , 25/02/2005 P. 0042 - 0043

  Official Journal L 338 , 17/12/2008 P. 0179 - 0180

• 32007R0617
  

  Council Regulation (EC) No 617/2007 of 14 May 2007 on the implementation of the 10th European Development Fund under the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement

  Official Journal L 152 , 13/06/2007 P. 0001 - 0013

• 32005D0707
  

  2005/707/EC: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument in favour of the rehabilitation and reconstruction assistance to tsunami affected countries according to point 24 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999

  Official Journal L 269 , 14/10/2005 P. 0023 - 0023

  Official Journal L 349 , 12/12/2006 P. 0436 - 0436

• 32009E0709
  

  Council Joint Action 2009/709/CFSP of 15 September 2009 on the European Union mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUSEC RD Congo)

  Official Journal L 246 , 18/09/2009 P. 0033 - 0037

• 32006D0541
  

  2006/541/EC: Commission Decision of 20 July 2006 replacing the Annex to Decision 2005/769/EC laying down rules for the procurement of food aid by NGOs authorised by the Commission to purchase and mobilise products to be supplied under Council Regulation (EC) No 1292/96

  Official Journal L 214 , 04/08/2006 P. 0050 - 0058

  Official Journal L 118 , 08/05/2007 P. 1045 - 1053

Preparatory acts

• 52007DC0317
  

  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Towards a European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid {SEC(2007) 781} {SEC(2007) 782}

• 52007SC0782
  

  Commission staff working document - Accompanying the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Towards a European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid - Report on the results of the consultation on a consensus on European Humanitarian Aid Policy {COM(2007) 317 final} {SEC(2007) 781}

• 52006SC1626
  

  Commission staff working document - Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid - ECHO - Operational Strategy 2007

• 52006DC0441
  

  Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid - (ECHO) Annual Report 2005 {SEC(2006) 1058}

• 52007SC0781
  

  Commission staff working document - Accompanying the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Towards a European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid - Report on responses to crises – DRC, Pakistan, Lebanon and Burma/Myanmar {COM(2007) 317 final} {SEC(2007) 782}

• 52009PC0551
  

  Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection and the content of the protection granted {SEC(2009) 1373} {SEC(2009) 1374}

• 52009PC0456
  

  Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council of amending Decision No 573/2007/EC establishing the European Refugee Fund for the period 2008 to 2013 as part of the General programme "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows" and repealing Council Decision 2004/904/EC {COM(2009) 447 final} {SEC(2009) 1127} {SEC(2009) 1128}

• 52009PC0456
  

  Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council of amending Decision No 573/2007/EC establishing the European Refugee Fund for the period 2008 to 2013 as part of the General programme "Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows" and repealing Council Decision 2004/904/EC {COM(2009) 447 final} {SEC(2009) 1127} {SEC(2009) 1128}

• 52009DC0084
  

  Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - EU strategy for supporting disaster risk reduction in developing countries {SEC(2009) 217} {SEC(2009) 218} {SEC(2009) 220}

• 52008DC0130
  

  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on reinforcing the Union's disaster response capacity

• 52005IP0137
  

  European Parliament resolution on humanitarian aid to Sahrawi refugees

  Official Journal 033 E , 09/02/2006 P. 0596 - 0597

Other acts

• 52006SA0003
  

  Special report No 3/2006 concerning the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Response to the Tsunami together with the Commission's replies

  Official Journal C 170 , 21/07/2006 P. 0001 - 0021

• C2009/231/07
  

  Special Report No 6/2009 European Union food aid for deprived persons: an assessment of the objectives, the means and the methods employed

  Official Journal C 231 , 25/09/2009 P. 0038 - 0038

• 52008SA0006
  

  Special Report No 6/2008

  European Commission Rehabilitation Aid following the Tsunami and Hurricane Mitch

• 52005IP0006
  

  European Parliament resolution on the recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean

  Official Journal 247 E , 06/10/2005 P. 0147 - 0151

• 92001E3357
  

  WRITTEN QUESTION E-3357/01 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Afghanistan and humanitarian aid from the European Union.

  Official Journal 277 E , 14/11/2002 P. 0002 - 0003

• 92002E0687
  

  WRITTEN QUESTION P-0687/02 by Maria Sanders-ten Holte (ELDR) to the Commission. Report by Save the Children about sexual abuse of girls by aid workers in exchange for aid in refugee camps in West Africa.

  Official Journal 028 E , 06/02/2003 P. 0043 - 0044

• 92002E2518
  

  WRITTEN QUESTION E-2518/02 by Dorette Corbey (PSE)and Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Genetically modified food aid to developing countries.

  Official Journal 268 E , 07/11/2003 P. 0011 - 0012

• 92002E2417
  

  WRITTEN QUESTION E-2417/02 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Blocking by President Robert Mugabe of international food aid to some sections of the population in Zimbabwe.

  Official Journal 268 E , 07/11/2003 P. 0005 - 0005

• 92002E2420
  

  WRITTEN QUESTION P-2420/02 by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission. Further humanitarian aid for North Korea.

  Official Journal 051 E , 26/02/2004 P. 0005 - 0007

• 62001J0024
  

  Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 7 November 2002.

  Glencore Grain Ltd and Compagnie Continentale (France) SA v Commission of the European Communities.

  Appeal - Emergency aid provided by the Community to the States of the former Soviet Union - Invitation to tender - Free competition - Hearing of witnesses.

  Joined cases C-24/01 P and C-25/01 P.

  European Court reports 2002 Page I-10119