MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Follow-up questions to the question ‘EU Pact on Migration with Tunisia, Mauritania and Morocco – allegations of serious human rights violations’ (P-002453/2024) – P-000621/2025(ASW)

Each contribution agreement with pillar-assessed entities[1] outlines the conditions under which the implementation of the contract may be fully or partially suspended, as specified in the general conditions[2].

Before deciding on suspension, each situation must be carefully assessed based on substantiated evidence in order to guarantee a proportional and gradual approach.

While suspending funds might appear to be a prompt response to human rights’ concerns, it can also deprive vulnerable populations of essential support provided through EU funds.

Strengthening monitoring mechanisms and tools are essential to reinforce accountability and ensure human rights’ compliance; implementing partners play a crucial role by providing detailed context assessments, conducting risk analyses, and identifying mitigating measures.

Additionally, EU Delegations intensify their engagement through missions, meetings and policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders, including authorities and internal security forces. All this information serves as a basis for dialogue and guides the implementation of EU actions.

Moreover, the Commission is working on enhancing internal procedures to ensure stronger implementation of the human rights-based approach in EU-funded migration programmes with partner countries and more effectively following up on allegations of human rights violations.

• [1] Pillar Assessment is a process used by the Commission to evaluate the eligibility and suitability of partner organisations to work under indirect management. The purpose of such assessment is to ensure that the partner organisation’s systems, rules and procedures provide a level of protection of the EU’s financial interests, equivalent to the one that is provided when the Commission manages the budget directly itself.
• [2] General Conditions for Contribution Agreements, Articles 11 and 12, https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/document/download/005e7241-6726-4c5e-b822-3b51c28a8819_en?filename=contribution-agreement-annex-ii_en.pdf