The process towards an EU Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. Conclusions of the Council

In 2007, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted the "European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid". Various documents reveal the processus of design and implementation of this Consensus.

1) June 2007: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council towards a European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. In developing this Communication, the European Commission reviewed lessons learnt in its responses to crises, and conducted an intensive consultation process of its humanitarian partners.The European Commission invites the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament to:

• adopt a joint declaration on the "European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid";
• reaffirm the commitment to working together in a co-ordinated, coherent and complementary way to ensure that this consensus is translated effectively into practice.

2) June 2007: Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on The process towards an EU Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.

3) January 2008: The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.

4) Mai 2008: Action plan of the Consensus on Humanitarian Aid.

This work document from the European Commission presents the roadmap and the concrete measures needed to implement the Consensus. It aims to define a series of concrete actions so as to develop a coordinated approach to humanitarian aid actions and maximise the effectiveness the EU’s contribution. It is worth noting that in order to facilitation the implementation of the roadmap, activities are divided into 6 categories of areas and priority actions are identified.

Furthermore, for this roadmap to deliver results, the document suggests that monitoring of progress and implementation be put in place, as well as a mid-term evaluation of the action plan. This will allow for a review of lessons learnt and and readjustments if needed.

 European Commission - 2007