European Court of Auditors. Special report 15/2025: EU humanitarian aid under remote management – Can save lives, but there are weaknesses in the approach

When faced with exceptional access constraints, the Commission and its partners have adapted their operating model to provide humanitarian aid through “remote management”. We examined whether the Commission’s remote management approach enables the provision of aid in hard-to-access areas while adequately mitigating the risks involved. Overall, our audit showed that while the approach provides a useful framework, there are weaknesses in its design and implementation. We recommend that the Commission improves the remote management approach and guidance, strengthens the certification process for NGO partners, verifies information provided by partners, and reports on remote management to stakeholders.