"Whole populations desperately need our help, in Darfur, in the Middle East, in Sri Lanka and in many other devastated regions. Our response will be more effective if we join forces across Europe to guarantee instant access to the crisis zones". Louis Michel, Commissioner for humanitarian aids, comments the note from the Executive, "bound to increase the effectiveness and consistency" of EU’s aids to the developing countries which are going through humanitarian crises. The EU Commission insists on the need for "more cooperation" between the EU and the member states and on some convergence between immediate aids and the external political policy of the 27 EU member states, also considering that "over a half of the public international aids come from the EU" through the EU Commission or bilateral programs entered into by the member states. One of the principles defined by the document, which has been submitted to the EU Parliament, the EU Council and the governments, lays down that such aids must be based "unequivocally on the principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality"; in addition, they "must be quickly and effectively supplied to the victims of crises, according to their assessed needs". (continued)
