Amendments tabled by the ESN Group to the European Parliament's motion for a resolution on the Joint communication on humanitarian aid would fundamentally shift the EU's approach from a rights-based, gender-inclusive framework to a strictly needs-based, life-saving model, prioritising subsidiarity, anti-fraud measures, and preventing migration to Europe, while adding protections for religious minorities. The amendments, referred to the Committee on Development on 6 July 2026, are proposed by MEPs Marc Jongen and Tomasz Froelich on behalf of the ESN Group.
Amendment 8 would replace the original text's focus on gender equality, women's rights, and sexual/reproductive healthcare with a call for humanitarian action guided strictly by the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. It insists EU funding be used exclusively for life-saving assistance (food, shelter, healthcare, basic education) without discrimination, and not for political, ideological, or social agendas. Amendment 9 would replace the original call for localisation and equitable partnerships with a demand to strictly apply subsidiarity—EU funding only where it adds value. It limits funding to life-saving activities, prohibits financing political advocacy, and calls for strengthened anti-fraud mechanisms, recovery of misused funds, and suspension/exclusion of non-compliant organisations.
Amendment 10 would replace the original call for Member States to meet the 0.7% ODA target (with 10% for humanitarian action) with a demand to prioritise measurable effectiveness, value for money, and independently verified outcomes before considering funding increases. Amendment 11 adds a new paragraph focusing humanitarian aid on regions with immediate crises to prevent illegal migration flows to Europe, calling for supporting refugees/internally displaced persons in their countries of origin or safe nearby areas, excluding resettlement in the EU, and prioritising safe, voluntary return to secure zones. Amendment 12 adds a new paragraph calling for special attention to persecuted religious minorities, especially Christian communities in conflict-affected regions, ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches vulnerable groups facing discrimination or forced displacement based on faith.
The amendments are proposed amendments still to be examined and voted in committee before any plenary vote. If adopted, the changes would have significant impacts on stakeholders: EU humanitarian organisations would face stricter funding conditions and prohibitions on advocacy; recipient communities would see reduced support for gender and reproductive health services but increased focus on life-saving aid and protections for religious minorities; EU taxpayers would benefit from enhanced anti-fraud measures and value-for-money requirements; and third countries hosting refugees could see increased support for local integration rather than resettlement in the EU.