WRITTEN QUESTION E-2255/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 July 1997)

Subject: European voluntary service for young people

The Commission has submitted a proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision establishing the Community action programme 'European voluntary service for young people (COM(96) 610 final - 96/0318 COD).

By offering young people opportunities for integration into working life and acquiring professional and work experience, the voluntary service could help combat exclusion and youth unemployment, giving Community value added and having a desirable multiplier effect on Member States' policies for young people.

Will the Commission recognize the need to guarantee young people social protection (sickness and accident insurance, civil liability) during their voluntary service and to ensure that they retain their rights to unemployment benefit and family allowances while undertaking service in another Member State?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2254/97 and E-2255/97 given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (5 August 1997)

European voluntary service provides young people with a non-formal educational experience. It gives them the opportunity to immerse themselves in another cultural and social context and to familiarise themselves with another language. It also helps to promote their broader personal development by allowing them to take on responsibilities, work as part of a team and contribute to the development of projects in another Member State.

The Commission has stressed since the launching of the pilot action of European voluntary service in 1996 that young volunteers should certainly not be regarded as a source of cheap labour or as means of substituting for existing or potential paid jobs. The aims of European voluntary service are educational. The activities in which volunteers are involved help to provide an added value to local projects in the social, environmental or cultural field, or to develop new initiatives in these areas. The Commission carefully considers potential risks of job substitution in its assessment of proposals to host volunteers. It also examines the opinions on each project provided by the national structures responsible for European voluntary service, taking into account the specific national context.

The Commission has explained the serious consideration which it gives to this issue in discussions with the Economic and social committee, which has adopted two positive opinions on European voluntary service. The Commission has also strongly encouraged Member States to involve the social partners in committees set up at national level to oversee the selection of projects.

The Commission has been supporting a small number of projects in third countries on an experimental basis in the framework of the pilot action of European voluntary service. In this context, young volunteers have had the opportunity to take part in social, environmental, cultural and humanitarian activities coordinated by non-governmental organisations. However, the Commission does not feel that it would be appropriate to involve young volunteers in humanitarian operations in war or crisis zones.

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that experience acquired through European voluntary service can help to facilitate the integration of young people into active life. It offers a new kind of informal educational experience, which is complementary to existing training and work experience programmes at national and European level.

With regard to social protection issues, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his written question E-2727/96 ((OJ C 60, 26.2.1997. )).