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The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid and for civil protection. In 2013 it provided €1.35 billion for emergency relief.〔(ECHO Humanitarian Aid Factsheet 2013 )〕 The European Union has been the second largest donor of humanitarian assistance since 2000. Together with its Member States, it is the world's biggest donor of humanitarian aid, providing over 50% of the total humanitarian aid in 2009.〔(Global Humanitarian Assistance website )〕 ECHO-funded projects affect over 120 million people in 90 countries annually. For its humanitarian interventions, ECHO does not implement assistance programmes itself; but funds operations through a wide range of around 200 partners (NGOs, UN agencies, and international organisations such as the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement).〔European Parlement Factsheet on the European Union: (Humanitarian Aid )〕 In 2013, ECHO had 44 field offices in 39 countries, with 149 international humanitarian experts and 315 national staff members. The field offices provide up-to-date analysis of existing and forecasted needs in a given country or region, contribute to the development of intervention strategies and policy development, provide technical support to ECHO funded operations, and ensure adequate monitoring of these interventions and facilitate donor's coordination at field level.〔 (ECHO Field Network ). ECHO, retrieved 29-07-14.〕 In addition to providing funding to humanitarian aid, ECHO is also in charge of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Established in 2001, the Mechanism fosters cooperation among national civil protection authorities across Europe. Currently 31 countries are members of the Mechanism; all 28 EU Member States in addition to Iceland, Norway, and the Republic of Macedonia. The Mechanism was set up to enable coordinated assistance from the participating states to victims of natural and man-made disasters in Europe and elsewhere. After the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, the Barroso Commission accepted the prize money on behalf of the EU and allocated it to a new initiative called Children of Peace. Approximately €2 million was set aside for the Children of Peace projects in 2013. It was increased to €4 million in 2014.〔(EU dedicates its Nobel Peace Prize to Education projects for Children in Conflict ). Retrieved 27-06-14.〕 ==History== The European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) was established in 1992 by the Second Delors Commission. Funding from the office affects over 120 million people in 90 countries annually. It spends €800 million a year of its initial budget on humanitarian projects through its over 200 partners (such as the Red Cross, Relief NGOs and UN agencies).〔(ECHO Annual Report 2012 )〕 It claims a key focus is to make EU aid more effective and humanitarian. With the European Community being abolished in 2009, the office began to be known as the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European Commission or European Union, but kept its ECHO abbreviation. A special Eurobarometer survey on humanitarian aid conducted in 2010 reveals the high sense of solidarity among European citizens towards victims of conflict and natural disasters outside their borders, with eight out of 10 citizens thinking that "it is important that the EU funds humanitarian aid outside its borders". However, fewer than two out of 10 European citizens spontaneously name the EU, the European Commission and/or ECHO as an actor funding humanitarian aid.〔(Eurobarometer survey on humanitarian aid: Europeans care – and endorse the Commission's mandate ), European Commission. 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2012-01-13〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「ECHO (European Commission)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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