The ECR Group wants EU support to countries receiving European assistance, especially in regions linked to high migration pressure, to be based on cooperation, responsibility and mutual obligations.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s vote, ECR Shadow Rapporteur Małgorzata Gosiewska said.

“Humanitarian aid must serve as a lifeline for people in need in acute crises and emergencies. At the same time, the EU funding for developing countries must be part of responsible partnerships. Where the EU provides structural support, particularly in regions linked to high migration pressure, recipient countries must cooperate seriously in preventing illegal migration.

“We need to ensure real incentives for those countries to cooperate with the EU on common international security challenges, such as dismantling criminal smuggling networks, fighting human trafficking, and ensuring the readmission of their citizens who have crossed our borders illegally.

“This is not about weakening humanitarian responsibility or questioning emergency assistance. It is about making long-term EU support to recipient countries more credible, more balanced and more effective. European taxpayers are entitled to expect that countries benefiting from European support also work with us on the challenges that directly affect our citizens, including uncontrolled migration.”

The European Union and its Member States remain the world’s largest humanitarian donor, providing 34 per cent of global humanitarian funding in 2025. The European Commission alone has allocated almost €2 billion for humanitarian aid this year.

On 27 May 2026, the Commission adopted its Joint Communication on Humanitarian Aid, entitled Defending values, driving reform, delivering impact. The EU’s humanitarian action in a shifting global order. The Communication rightly argues for strengthening cost-effective and resilient humanitarian aid delivery by reforming supply chains and maximising the value of EU humanitarian funding.

However, the motion for a resolution prepared by the Committee on Development shifts the focus too strongly towards scaling up financial commitments. The ECR Group supports effective humanitarian action, the protection of humanitarian personnel and respect for international humanitarian law. But for the ECR Group, broader European assistance to recipient countries, especially in regions connected to strong migration flows, must also be tied to credible cooperation and measurable results.