The European Parliament’s influential Committee on Development — commonly known as DEVE — demands that that the European Union provides an appropriate budget to pursue its humanitarian aid actions, a call supported by Kristalina Georgieva, the bloc’s humanitarian aid chief.
“We are in a critical situation,” Austrian Member of the European Parliament Paul Rübig warned Wednesday during the committee’s meeting to discuss budget cuts proposed by EU member states. “There is a growing backlog on outstanding payments. It is unacceptable if the EU cannot pay its bills on time, it would diminish Europe’s stature in the world.”
The DEVE chairwoman, British MEP Linda McAvan, called on member states to free up the 250 million euros ($323.7 million) needed this year: “The European Council needs to show its real commitment to humanitarian aid in its approach to the budget.”
About the author
Diederik Kramers@DiederikKramers
Diederik Kramers is a freelance correspondent in Brussels covering EU and NATO affairs. A former spokesperson and communications officer for UNICEF and UNHCR, he previously worked as foreign desk and Eastern Europe editor for the Dutch press agency ANP and as editor-in-chief of the Dutch quarterly Ukraine Magazine.
