Humanitarian aid: assessment and future of Community activities (Regulation (EC) No 1257/96)

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on an assessment and future of Community hummanitarian activities. In adopting its resolution, the European Parliament called on the Commission to overcome confusion and uncertainty by unambiguously opting for a strategy for the future of stepping up the humanitarian aid policy entrusted to ECHO. Furthermore, it asked the Commission to submit to it and the Council, a clear strategy on the role that the humanitarian aid supplied by ECHO should play within external and development policies. In adopting the resolution, the European Parliament addressed the following requests to the Commission: - an increase in the administrative and financial capacities necessary for carrying out reorganisation and rehabilitation tasks in post-emergency situations; - the creation of a system for overall coordination of all the donors involved in humanitarian aid at the international level; - that the Commission and the Council give ECHO the function of a coordinating platform for all the Member States' emergency aid services at times of major natural disasters or other serious crises; - that disaster preparedness be integrated into all European development and technical cooperation programmes; - that the Commission take certain steps with regard to the management of ECHO; - that preference should be given to the NGO system and associations of civil society when partners are chosen to carry out humanitarian tasks; - that ECHO maintain a flexible approach; - that the Commission take the appropriate steps to put a stop to the increased politicisation of humanitarian assistance; - that ECHO's strategy for communicating with the outside be strengthened; - that the Commission and the Member States back the efforts made to ensure that the European Union's presence and influence in international organisations are more representative of its political strength and the extent of its contribution to humanitarian aid.�