THE EU AND HUMANITARIAN ACTION: BREAKING DOWN BOUNDARIES!

Abstract

This paper explores EU processes of integrating humanitarian institutions, organizations and actors across
Europe; their impact on humanitarian space and actors outside the Union, and the dynamics of such on
EU states such as Ireland. With the creation of the EEC/EU it has consistently promoted eradication of
internal boundaries, and fostered dynamics of building EU relationships with third party states;
reinventing maps of Europe and perceptions. Programs and projects have been established that aim at
strategically influencing various contexts outside EU territory in which the Union seeks to be involved as
an entity; for instance in the sphere of humanitarian space with ECHO (European Commission
Humanitarian Office) and EUROPEAID. New interconnections between inner and outer spheres of the
Union have been built impacting on people and places. This is creating and reinforcing transnational
partnerships at various levels, including EU and national administrations, associations, NGOs and
citizens. Geographers are contributing to these processes.