Skip to main content
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations

Accountability

Accountability

Annual reports

In order to ensure transparency and accountability on how European aid funds were spent, at the end of each year the European Commission's department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) establishes an annual report. The report is available to the public, presenting how the budget was spent and which activities were carried out.

Audits

The European Commission's department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations is regularly subject to an annual detailed review of procedures and validation of its expenditure. Audits are carried out by the European Court of Auditors, as well as the Internal Audit Service of the Commission. ECHO also carries out partners' audits to assess whether grants have been spent in accordance with laid down rules, and to provide recommendations to improve the financial management by partners.

Strategy

The European Commission's department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations is committed to developing every year a strategic plan in order to co-ordinate and to programme its activities efficiently and in an appropriate manner adopting an impartial approach based on needs. To ensure maximum transparency, the department's annual strategies are available to the public.

Reporting suspicions of misconduct, mismanagement or fraud related to ECHO-funded actions, partners or staff

The European Commission has very high ethical standards towards its staff members and partner organisations that receive EU funds. Our internal regulations and partnerships with humanitarian organisations include provisions on ethics and consider integrity essential.

We are determined to maintain the highest standards of integrity and work ethics among our staff and across all our areas of activity and we are committed to the prevention and fight of any kind of misconduct, but in particular sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. We take all allegations of misconduct by our staff or partners seriously. Any form of misconduct compromises our vital work on the ground, endangers beneficiaries and the credibility of the humanitarian sector.

If you are a victim or a witness of misconduct or potential misconduct related to DG ECHO staff, partners or projects, please contact ECHO at ECHO-REPORTMISCONDUCTatec [dot] europa [dot] eu. For such reporting, there are no specific requirements to be met, apart from providing as precise and detailed information as possible. The mailbox is accessible to beneficiaries, contractors, members of the public, humanitarian partners, and all ECHO staff.

If you would like to report any suspicion of corruption, fraud or other financial irregularities related to ECHO funded actions or ECHO activities, please contact ECHO at ECHO-REPORTFRAUDatec [dot] europa [dot] eu. For such reporting, there are no specific requirements to be met or procedures to be followed, apart from providing ECHO with as precise and detailed information as possible, including supporting documents if available. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your complaint, and if you are the victim of misconduct, you will be informed of any further developments related to your complaint within a reasonable timeframe.

Please note that the reporting can be anonymous.

DG ECHO handles information provided in confidentiality in order to protect the rights of those involved and the privacy of the informants. Any processing of personal data will be done in accordance with the applicable EU legislation - Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data.

Picture: © European Union/ECHO/Malini Morzaria

Related links

European Development Fund
EU Emergency Aid Reserve
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)