Letters and Statements

You are meeting in Brussels, on 20 & 21 March, and are expected to discuss new ways to raise EU own resources. The European Union faces an investment crisis. Mario Draghi’s landmark competitiveness report has called for significantly more public and private investment, urging the EU to invest an additional €800 billion per year. He stressed that the EU must match post-World War II investment levels, warning that otherwise Europe risks compromising its welfare, environment and global standard.

Ahead of the special European Council meeting that you scheduled for 6 March, we write to urge you to resist a dangerous and false dichotomy: the idea that increasing defence spending must come at the expense of international development assistance (ODA). Cutting aid would be both a moral failure and a strategic mistake. At a time of growing instability, hunger, and global crises, when conflict, climate disasters and inequality are worsening, Europe must reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism and solidarity, and show global leadership. We know the only way to meet the daunting challenges of our time is together.  

Today, marks three years since the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), which provided a safe pathway to protection for millions of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It was a powerful demonstration of the EU’s unity and solidarity in the face of a humanitarian crisis, and proved to be an effective emergency mechanism for responding to large arrivals of people in a humane and orderly way. It alleviated pressure on national asylum systems and provided displaced people with immediate and collective protection, including the right to reside, work, study, and access health care and social support in the EU. 

In a letter published ahead of the European Union (EU)-Israel Association Council, a coalition of civil society and human rights organisations publish a clear case for the EU to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement in the face of Israel’s breaches of international law and call on the European Commission to draft a proposal accordingly. The forthcoming EU-Israel Association Council must address Israel’s violation of Article 2 and act decisively to uphold its commitment to human rights and international law. 

We, the undersigned human rights organizations, trade unions and civil society groups, urge the European Commission to take action to ban all trade and business between the EU and Israel's illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem. Such action is essential for the EU and its member states to comply with their obligations under international law.

On 8 November 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced she would introduce a proposal to amend three key pillars of the European Green Deal through an Omnibus law: the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Taxonomy Regulation. 

As members of civil society, human rights and environmental defenders, trade unions and climate activists, we call on the European Commission to actively protect these EU corporate accountability laws, reafirm the oficial timeline for their transposition and implementation, and be fully transparent about the Omnibus process.

We, the undersigned non-governmental organisations in Poland and across Europe, are deeply alarmed by Poland’s declared intentions to suspend access to asylum, posing a significant threat to the fundamental rights of those seeking safety. We call for a responsible debate about human rights in the context of migration that is inclusive of the voices of civil society organisations as well as refugees and asylum-seekers themselves.

In today’s world, the interconnectedness of societies, ecosystems, and economies is undeniable. Crises like climate change, pandemics, and conflicts transcend borders, affecting everyone, including EU citizens. To effectively address both current and future crises, as well as setbacks in human rights, sustainable development and gender equality, the EU urgently needs additional resources. Investing in these efforts benefits both EU citizens and people worldwide, reinforcing global security and stability for all.

The undersigned organisations jointly call for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of violations of human rights by the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). These human rights violations constitute a clear breach of Article 2, which makes the Agreement conditional upon the parties’ “respect for human rights and democratic principles”, which constitute “an essential element” of the Agreement. 

To commemorate World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, Oxfam and over 400  humanitarian organizations sent a joint letter to the Member States of the United Nations General Assembly asking the international community to end attacks on civilians, protect all aid workers, and hold perpetrators to account.

Fourteen international humanitarian organisations are urging the European Commission to rethink its proposed shift to a transactional approach in development cooperation, as seen in a recently leaked draft Briefing Book from the European Commission's Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA). This Briefing Book will set the direction for EU development in the next EU mandate. The organisations warn that this approach could abandon vulnerable communities in fragile or crisis-affected contexts, leading to devastating consequences for those most at risk and undermining the EU's global relevance in an increasingly fragile world.