Over the last few decades international organisations, national governments, and governmental and private actors have all multiplied their efforts to limit the extent to which natural catastrophes, man-made atrocities and political and economic breakdowns affect civil populations. The European Union and Humanitarian Crises: Patterns of Intervention addresses the allocation of foreign aid within the framework of the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid policy and analyses different Member States’ intervention strategies designed to cope with these emergencies. Joining the debate about bilateral and multilateral allocation of foreign aid in crisis situations and exploring the cooperative actions undertaken by the European Union and its Member States to cope with them the book questions how the context of the crises themselves impacts on strategies of intervention and investigates how strategies change depending on the characteristics of the crisis.

EU Management of Global Emergencies: Legal Framework for Combating Threats and Crises provides a thorough analysis of the role played by the European Union (EU) in combating some of the global emergencies that currently affect, or are likely to affect, our planet. In particular, the potential of a “regional” model for coping with such emergencies is examined, taking into account the perceived inefficacy of traditional prevention and reaction mechanisms provided both by individual States and international organisations. The expression “global emergencies” refers to all situations, irrespective of the subject matter involved, which are characterised by an unexpected state of crisis which affects one or more regions of the world and call for an urgent and coordinated response from competent bodies and institutions. Furthermore, the book tests the role of the EU in managing global emergencies with respect to four broad areas: the economic and financial crises, the protection of the environment, terrorism and humanitarian aid, while maintaining focus on the legal framework within which the EU deals with such global emergencies in the light of the innovations brought about by the Lisbon Treaty. With contributions by leading experts in each of the identified set of challenges, EU Management of Global Emergencies: Legal Framework for Combating Threats and Crises aims at increasing the understanding of : (a) the contribution of regional organizations such as the EU to the management of global emergencies; (b) the effectiveness of the EU external action and the actual involvement of the EU in global cooperation processes against global emergencies; (c) global standards of human rights protection in relation to measures adopted in crises; and (d) the coordination mechanisms between the EU and other international organisations with a global or regional membership, in the management of global emergencies.

External interventions to mitigate crises or end conflicts have rarely succeeded. The EU and its member states, in particular, have repeatedly run up against their limits in the civil wars in Afghanistan, the Congo, Libya, Syria, the Sahel region and Yemen. However, the EU – if not the entire international community – have learned one lesson from their faltering peacebuilding efforts: If they are to have any chance of making a meaningful and lasting difference, they must develop and use comprehensive strategies that combine and coordinate the various tools available to diplomacy, development cooperation and security. The 29 reports presented in this book – one for each EU member state as well as one on the EU as a whole – examine how steep the learning curve has been and, accordingly, how successful these bodies have been at forming new linkages among the various actors involved in external crisis and conflict management as well as within and between their institutions and organisations. While the EU clearly still has a long way to go before it can live up to its rhetoric and become a distinct and effective actor on the foreign policy stage, small and incremental steps in reorganising institutional practise may help in narrowing the gap between words and deeds. This volume provides examples of how the EU and its member states have found new organisational structures and procedures – specifically at the headquarters level – to better organise the necessary combination and coordination of the many tools available for crisis and conflict management. These ways are then juxtaposed in a 'big picture' chapter, which also identifies best practices for successful WGA implementation.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyse the independence, neutrality and impartiality of the EU humanitarian assistance and to which extent is influenced by the EU's political, economic and military goals. The paper focuses on the legislative framework and the interactions between the main actors of EU humanitarian aid and external action, questioning the politicization of EU humanitarian aid. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the structure and organization of the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and its relations to the Member States, different EU bodies and humanitarian partners, primarily NGOs and UN bodies. The last part of the paper addresses the Comprehensive Approach and how it affects humanitarian aid

This report, written as part of a wider review of human rights in EU foreign policy, describes and assesses the current decision-making structures and procedures for EU military, police and civilian crisis management missions throughout the world. EU interventions or missions in non-member countries are a relatively recent development, and have largely been undertaken to ensure more effective co-ordination of humanitarian, peace-keeping, and peace building efforts by Member States in response to international conflicts and crises - and perhaps also to project the role of the EU as a major actor on the global stage. EU missions may involve the deployment of military forces in peace-keeping or peace enforcement operations, the deployment of military and police personnel in a preventive role or with a view to maintaining public order or controlling criminal activity, or they may involve the provision of civilian support for the rebuilding or redevelopment of the rule of law in countries where governmental structures have broken down. This report examines the incidence of these interventions, as well as their interaction with other bodies such as the UN, NATO, the African Union and voluntary coalitions, and the complex diplomatic and military negotiations leading to particular operations. The focus on assistance reflects the primary responsibility of the EU not to act independently of the UN and other international bodies but to provide support and assistance to the wider international community. The main aim of the report is not to provide a detailed analysis of the success or failure of particular missions, but is to describe the often complex and confusing structures developed over the past decade and to assess the past, present and future of the EU's responsibility to intervene in international crises.

This book analyses trends and changes in the European Union’s (EU) humanitarian aid policy, by focusing on the performance of Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs). NGOs have developed strong relationships with international institutions but have also maintained direct interaction with EU member states. The result is a multi-layered process in which national interests, common values, universal principles and global duties meet and interact. By combining a deepening of the theoretical debate with the use of empirical data on the funding of NGO projects by EU institutions and member states, the book significantly furthers our understanding of the complex relationship between these actors. It will appeal to students and scholars interested in EU politics, global security, and international aid, as well as practitioners in the humanitarian field.