Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing the Community action programme "European voluntary service for young people"` (97/C 158/05)

On 19 February 1997 the Council of the European Union decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 126 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Social, Family, Educational and Cultural Affairs, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 5 March 1997. The rapporteur was Mr Liverani.

At its 334th plenary session on 19 and 20 March 1997 (meeting of 19 March) the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 102 votes to two, with five abstentions.

1. Thrust of the Commission proposal

1.1. The European Commission is proposing the implementation of a voluntary service programme, covering the period 1998-2002, to enable young people aged between 18 and 25 and legally resident in a Member State to participate in specific voluntary activities of benefit to the community in another Member State. The proposal, based on Article 126 of the Treaty, falls within the cooperation policy in the youth field set out in the programme 'Youth for Europe` (Article 1).

1.2. The programme offers young European volunteers an educational experience, at transnational level, for periods varying according to the particular project (Article 2). Young volunteers will be given an opportunity to participate in activities and innovative initiatives which meet social needs in a wide range of sectors (cultural, environmental, social, etc.) and can upgrade quality of life in the host community. The five key criteria to determine projects eligible for funding are listed in an annex to the proposal.

1.3. An ECU 60 million appropriation will be earmarked for the programme over the two-year period 1998-1999 (Article 3). The Commission is to finance up to 50 % of project costs, the balance being met by the young person's home/host country organization. The programme also makes it possible for young people resident in the Member States to take part in activities in the associated countries of central and eastern Europe (Article 5).

2. General comments

2.1. The Committee welcomes the Commission proposal and draws attention to the observations and recommendations on the voluntary 'community service scheme` contained in its own-initiative Opinion on youth unemployment () (p. 6, para. 4.2.1). The Committee also recalls that it has already expressed its views on the Commission's intentions in its own-initiative Opinion () on the Commission working document setting out a pilot action for a European voluntary service for young people, which paved the way for the current multi-annual programme.

2.2. The Committee stresses the importance of this proposal in infusing the Union with a new social and cultural dimension among other things by stepping up cooperation among the Member States to promote the active participation of young people, boost their spirit of independence and initiative and make them increasingly aware of the European idea.

2.3. The Committee is interested to note the benefits resulting from the success of this 'pilot action` in 1996, which is described and evaluated in greater detail in a first progress report in which the Commission concludes that the action can be extended to 2 000-2 500 young people in 1997.

2.4. The experience of this pilot action has also highlighted the projects' potential impact on local development, opportunities for interaction between programme-based activities and locally-run development schemes, as well as the scope for promoting social partnership.

2.5. The Committee agrees with the arguments put forward in the preamble to the proposed decision, which refer to the conclusions of the European Council meetings held in Essen (1994), Cannes (1995) and Florence (1996) and stress the importance of actions conducive to promoting a youth policy at Community level, encouraging the social and occupational integration of young people in Europe and, in this connection, transnational cooperation in the field of voluntary service.

2.6. Here the Committee would draw attention to the findings and proposals of the White Papers on growth, competitiveness and employment (1993) and European social policy (1994) as well as the conclusions of its own-initiative opinion on youth unemployment referred to above (), in which it called for the introduction of measures designed to improve 'national` education and training structures and prevent social exclusion. Here voluntary service, offering young people, without discrimination, special opportunities for integration into active life and the acquisition of specific work and vocational experience could contribute to action designed to combat exclusion and unemployment among the young, while generating Community added value and the desired multiplier effects for the Member States' youth policies. The selection of programme participants should invariably be guided by such criteria and aims.

3. Specific comments

3.1. The Committee takes note of the proposed measures to facilitate cooperation among the Member States within the framework of the programme (Article 7), the award of a European certificate to young volunteers (Article 8), the setting up of a committee to examine projects (Article 9) and the presentation of an evaluation report to the European Parliament and the Council (Article 10). Here the Committee too wishes to be kept informed and reiterates its call in its opinion on youth unemployment () to the effect that 'the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions must be involved in putting together the Community Service Scheme` (page 6, point 4.2.1).

3.2. The Committee also feels that it should be able to participate in monitoring the programme's progress and assessing the results.

3.3. The Committee also repeats the need to involve the social partners in framing and developing the programme in view of the need to prevent any distortion of the labour market and to help solve the problems connected with integrating and assisting young volunteers during their stay as well as with social security protection and cover. Here the Committee would repeat the following comments in its opinion () on the Commission working document 'towards a European voluntary service for young people`:

'The involvement of workers' and employers' organizations is particularly important to prevent the replacement of normal employment by voluntary work. It is now clear that the Committee can endorse the Commission proposal only on condition that full-scale employment is not replaced by voluntary activity`;

'The social partners should discuss with NGOs the best way of involving volunteers in their humanitarian projects.`

3.4. Here the Committee, with the aim of strengthening partnership schemes, requests the Commission to ensure that cooperation with NGOs encompasses charitable associations as well as involving regional and local authorities.

3.5. In addition, the Committee would reiterate what it said in the opinion referred to in point 3.3 regarding the requisite social cover guarantees (health and accident insurance, civil liability) linked with the security and supervision of young people during their service, and the responsibility of the host organization.

3.6. Here the Committee endorses, and regards as a sine qua non, the adoption of the Council draft resolution appended to the Commission proposal, which calls on the Member States to give young volunteers participating in the programme every assistance in matters of residence permit, social welfare and security cover and preservation of unemployment and family benefit entitlements during their service in another Member State.

3.7. The Committee calls for an increase in funding to make it possible to extend the programme to third countries (e.g. the EU's neighbours, the Mediterranean countries and the United States, all of which have already expressed keen interest).

3.8. Lastly, the Committee would stress the need to promote the drive to step up information on the programme in the EU by involving national youth organizations and their international 'forums`, which can play a valuable role in such efforts.

Brussels, 19 March 1997.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS

() OJ No C 18, 22. 1. 1996.

() OJ No C 204, 15. 7. 1996.