EU Humanitarian Aid after the Lisbon Treaty

Abstract

This article analyses the treaty provisions introduced by the Lisbon Treaty with regard to the European Union's (EU) provision of humanitarian aid to third countries [with a particular focus on Article 214 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)]. It first examines how the new treaty framework affects the competences and the procedures that have been laid down with regard to humanitarian aid. It then considers the general international legal principles that, according to Article 214 TFEU, apply to the Union's provision of humanitarian aid. The article seeks to clarify what the obligations of ‘coordination’ and ‘complementarity’ entail. Finally, the article considers the requirement that a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps is set up.