The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department

The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission (ECHO) provides financial support to EthicalCargo. ECHO is one of the world's biggest humanitarian donors and has Framework Partnership Agreements with around 200 non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies and international organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies.

ECHO was established in 1992. Thanks to ECHO, humanitarian action now occupies a key position in the European Union's external action. Through ECHO funding, some 18 million people are helped each year.

The EU aims to make its aid to third countries struck by natural disaster or conflict more effective and more humanitarian. ECHO reflects this desire. Its assistance is based on the humanitarian principals of non-discrimination and impartiality, which sets it apart from other types of aid given by the European Commission.

ECHO enshrines the principle of ethical procurement for all FPA organizations in Annex IV "Rules & Procedures" of the FPA. EthicalCargo works to support ECHO's FPA holders with the primacy of the humanitarian imperative at the centre of its strategy.