Joint communication on humanitarian aid

Amendments tabled for the plenary sitting on this text, in their own numbering series. This is a different set from the committee amendments tracked elsewhere on AmendEU, and is not counted in any of the site’s amendment totals.

1. Amendment 1Verts/ALEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 1
   Current text

   1. Welcomes the commitments made in the joint communication on humanitarian aid regarding IHL and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence; recalls that customary international humanitarian law is binding on all parties to armed conflict; strongly condemns the obstruction of humanitarian aid; fundamentally opposes and condemns the delivery of humanitarian aid to advance military agendas and the politicisation of humanitarian aid by severely restricting access to life-saving aid, which undermine the core humanitarian principles;

   Amendment

   1. Welcomes the commitments made in the joint communication on humanitarian aid regarding IHL and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence; recalls that customary international humanitarian law is binding on all parties to armed conflict; strongly condemns the obstruction of humanitarian aid; fundamentally opposes and condemns the delivery of humanitarian aid to advance military agendas and the politicisation of humanitarian aid by severely restricting access to life-saving aid, including through the establishment of militarised distribution hubs that restrict access to life-saving assistance, require biometric registration or other forms of identifi…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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2. Amendment 2Verts/ALEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 1 a (new)
   Amendment

   1a. Expresses grave concern regarding the blockade and instrumentalisation of humanitarian aid by state and non-state actors for purposes of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, in violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law; stresses that such practices deprive the population in the affected territories of goods indispensable to their survival and constitute serious violations of the Geneva Conventions; calls, therefore, for the EU and its Member States to adopt duly justified sanctions against non-EU countries and individuals responsible for these violations;

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3. Amendment 3Verts/ALEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 1 b (new)
   Amendment

   1b. Recalls that UN agencies and other international organisations providing humanitarian relief in an occupied territory cannot be unilaterally excluded or obstructed by the occupying power, and that all UN member states, including EU Member States, are under an obligation, pursuant to the UN Charter, to give the UN agencies and other international organisations every assistance in the humanitarian action they undertake, as recently confirmed by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of 22 October 2025;

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4. Amendment 4Verts/ALEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 3 a (new)
   Amendment

   3a. Recalls the obligation of each Contracting Party, under Article I of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to prevent and punish genocide; highlights the fact that the blocking of humanitarian aid and the starvation of civilians can be grounds for genocide, and calls for the EU to formally commit to preventing any risk of genocide and to use all means at its disposal to avert it, including, but not limited to, humanitarian assistance, in line with the relevant provisional measures of the International Court of Justice ;

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5. Amendment 5Verts/ALEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 4 a (new)
   Amendment

   4a. Underlines that where the EU funds and delivers humanitarian aid intended to save lives and prevent famine, and a non-EU country obstructs or blocks its delivery, the EU must use all political, diplomatic, legal and economic leverage at its disposal to secure the immediate and unhindered passage of that aid and ensure that it reaches the population in need; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to systematically raise such obstruction at the highest political level and to take all measures needed against states, entities or individuals responsible for the obstruction, in order to achieve the immediate and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance;

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6. Amendment 6Verts/ALEMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 7
   Current text

   7. Condemns in the strongest terms the increase in attacks on and the killing of humanitarian workers in conflict areas; reminds states of their obligation to respect and protect humanitarian relief personnel and recalls that intentional attacks against personnel involved in a humanitarian assistance mission constitute war crimes; calls on the Commission and the Member States to unequivocally condemn the killing of humanitarian workers and to invest in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators;

   Amendment

   7. Condemns in the strongest terms the increase in attacks on and the killing of humanitarian workers in conflict areas; reminds states of their obligation to respect and protect humanitarian relief personnel and recalls that intentional attacks against personnel involved in a humanitarian assistance mission constitute war crimes; strongly condemns the use of so-called double-tap strike tactics, documented in conflicts including those in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, whereby an initial attack is followed by one or more subsequent strikes, often targeting civilians and rescuers, in particular humanitarian workers, and which may constitute a war crime; calls on the Commission and the Member State…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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7. Amendment 8ESNMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 11
   Current text

   11. Welcomes the EU’s commitment to strengthening advocacy and support for the protection sector as the heart of humanitarian action, and for gender equality; is alarmed by the sharp rise in attacks on humanitarian workers, medical personnel and humanitarian infrastructure, and by the increase in gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, in humanitarian contexts; calls on the Commission, the EEAS, EU delegations and the Member States to place women and girls at the centre of humanitarian preparedness and response efforts, adopt an inclusive approach and strengthen the full implementation of the women, peace and security agenda, including measures to protect women and…

   Amendment

   11. Calls for the EU to support humanitarian action that is firmly guided by the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence; is concerned about attacks on humanitarian workers, medical personnel and humanitarian infrastructure, and by all forms of violence against civilians, including conflict-related sexual violence, in humanitarian contexts1; calls on the Commission, the EEAS, EU delegations and the Member States to ensure that EU humanitarian funding is used exclusively for life-saving assistance, protection, food security, healthcare, shelter and basic education, thereby providing rapid relief to all persons affected by crises without discrimination, and not for th…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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8. Amendment 9ESNMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 18
   Current text

   18. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure meaningful localisation and equitable partnerships with local responders, including by ensuring that local actors play an active role in humanitarian decision-making, planning, monitoring and the evaluation of humanitarian responses; strongly welcomes the EU’s commitment to investing in local actors’ engagement in humanitarian diplomacy; calls on the Commission to simplify access to EU humanitarian funding for local actors, including by reducing administrative barriers, adapting compliance and reporting requirements, and increasing the use of predictable and intermediary funding mechanisms;

   Amendment

   18. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to strictly apply the principle of subsidiarity, ensuring that EU humanitarian funding is provided only where EU action demonstrably adds value and where objectives cannot be effectively achieved by the Member States or local authorities; insists that EU humanitarian funding should be strictly limited to life-saving humanitarian activities and should not be used, directly or indirectly, to finance political advocacy, ideological campaigning or activities unrelated to immediate humanitarian assistance; calls on the Commission to strengthen anti-fraud mechanisms, systematically recover misused funds and suspend or permanently exclude organisati…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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9. Amendment 10ESNMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 12
   Current text

   12. Deeply regrets the global humanitarian and development funding crisis, and the decision by several key donors, including several EU Member States, to reduce their aid budgets; calls on the Member States to take credible steps towards meeting the EU’s collective commitment to provide 0.7 % of gross national income as ODA, with 10 % dedicated to humanitarian action;

   Amendment

   12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prioritise measurable effectiveness, value for money and independently verified outcomes in existing humanitarian aid programmes before considering increases in overall funding levels;

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10. Amendment 11ESNMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 18 a (new)
    Amendment

    18a. Calls for the EU and its Member States to focus their humanitarian aid on regions currently affected by immediate crises, with the primary objective of preventing illegal migration flows towards Europe by providing comprehensive support to refugees and internally displaced persons in their countries of origin or in safe areas in their immediate vicinity, as provided for in the Geneva Conventions, while firmly excluding, under all circumstances, the resettlement of such persons on the territory of the EU and prioritising the safe, voluntary and cost-effective return of refugees to secure zones close to their homes as the most sustainable and responsible long-term solution;

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11. Amendment 12ESNMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 18 b (new)
    Amendment

    18b. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to pay particular attention to the protection of persecuted religious minorities, especially Christian communities in regions affected by conflict, instability or religious extremism, and to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches vulnerable groups facing discrimination, violence or forced displacement on the basis of their faith;

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12. Amendment 13ECRMotion for a resolution · Recital D
    Current text

    D. whereas access constraints, including bureaucratic impediments, restrictions on movement and interference by parties to conflicts, are increasingly limiting the ability of humanitarian actors to reach affected populations;

    Amendment

    D. whereas access constraints, including bureaucratic impediments, restrictions on movement, interference by parties to conflicts, and threats posed by religious extremism in conflict-affected areas, are increasingly limiting the ability of humanitarian actors to reach affected populations; whereas Christians in conflict-affected areas are disproportionately exposed to violence, including targeted killings, attacks on churches and properties, abductions and forced displacement, with thousands killed annually because of their faith; whereas the growing scale of persecution of Christians worldwide remains insufficiently addressed;

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13. Amendment 14ECRMotion for a resolution · Recital J
    Current text

    J. whereas in times of conflict and crisis, pre-existing gender inequalities are often exacerbated, resulting in women and girls, especially those with intersecting vulnerabilities, being disproportionally affected by conflict, displacement, gender-based violence and exclusion from life-saving services and decision-making processes; whereas historically the share of bilateral humanitarian aid with gender equality objectives has been low, and has decreased further over the last few years, stagnating at 17 % in 2021-2022; whereas women-led organisations receive only 0.4 % of bilateral aid in fragile states;

    Amendment

    J. whereas in times of conflict and crisis, women and girls are at particular risk of violence, including abduction, rape, sexual violence, exploitation and displacement, and often lose their livelihoods, which may constitute the sole source of income for their entire families; whereas humanitarian aid should be distributed first to those who are most in need, as determined through transparent and evidence-based needs assessments, and whereas the core purpose of humanitarian aid should be to strengthen local communities and restore their autonomy and self-reliance without creating permanent dependency;

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14. Amendment 15ECRMotion for a resolution · Recital K
    Current text

    K. whereas forced displacement is reaching unprecedented levels and a significant proportion of the world’s refugees and internally displaced persons reside in low-income and fragile states, placing increasing demands on humanitarian assistance and protection services;

    Amendment

    K. whereas forced displacement is reaching unprecedented levels and a significant proportion of the world’s refugees and internally displaced persons reside in low-income and fragile states, placing increasing demands on humanitarian assistance and protection services; whereas the EU is facing countless challenges in connection with uncontrolled migration; whereas access to EU support should be conditional upon full, verifiable and continuous cooperation on the prevention of illegal migration, the combating of smuggling and trafficking networks, and the effective return and readmission of persons who do not qualify for international protection or who have no right to remain in the EU;

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15. Amendment 16ECRMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 4
    Current text

    4. Calls on the Council, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Member States to continue ensuring that restrictive measures and bank de-risking practices allow for principled humanitarian action, including by systematically incorporating and applying effective, clear and operational standing humanitarian exemptions and safeguards in all relevant restrictive measures, building on the standing exemption established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2664 (2022);

    Amendment

    4. Calls on the Council, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Member States to refrain from introducing broad or automatic humanitarian exemptions and safeguards that could undermine the effectiveness of restrictive measures, and to ensure that any derogations are strictly necessary and proportionate and accompanied by robust oversight, transparency and anti-diversion safeguards that prevent the misuse of humanitarian and development assistance, including through corruption or their diversion to sanctioned entities;

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16. Amendment 17ECRMotion for a resolution · Paragraph 11
    Current text

    11. Welcomes the EU’s commitment to strengthening advocacy and support for the protection sector as the heart of humanitarian action, and for gender equality; is alarmed by the sharp rise in attacks on humanitarian workers, medical personnel and humanitarian infrastructure, and by the increase in gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, in humanitarian contexts; calls on the Commission, the EEAS, EU delegations and the Member States to place women and girls at the centre of humanitarian preparedness and response efforts, adopt an inclusive approach and strengthen the full implementation of the women, peace and security agenda, including measures to protect women and…

    Amendment

    11. Welcomes the EU’s commitment to strengthening advocacy and support for the protection sector, to strengthening the cost-effective and resilient delivery of humanitarian aid by reforming supply chains and maximising the value of EU humanitarian funding, and to strengthening humanitarian diplomacy in order to build strategic alliances with like-minded partners and wealthy regional actors, to make better use of resources and to implement more effective and results-oriented actions; is alarmed by the sharp rise in attacks on humanitarian workers, medical personnel and humanitarian infrastructure; calls on the Commission, the EEAS, EU delegations and the Member States to place women and girls…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
    official amendment document ↗