WRITTEN QUESTION E-2211/96 by Luciano Vecchi (PSE) and Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (PSE) to the Commission (9 August 1996)

Subject: European Voluntary Service - pilot phase

Bearing in mind that the pilot phase of European Voluntary Service is about to be launched, will the Commission say whether the maximum age limit for taking part in service projects, 25 years, is to be regarded as immovable? Alternatively, will young people above that age have the opportunity to become involved in the programme? If so, under what conditions?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-2209/96, E-2210/96, E-2211/96, E-2212/96, E-2213/96, E-2214/96 and E-2215/96 given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (7 October 1996)

The Commission agrees that it is essential to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the pilot action of European voluntary service for young people. The pilot action provides an important opportunity for experimentation with a view to developing a new approach towards transnational voluntary service activities for young people. This will help to provide a firm foundation for the establishment of a multiannual European voluntary service programme.

The Commission has adopted a decentralised approach to the implementation of the pilot action, which will help to bring European voluntary service as close as possible to the needs of all of the different operators concerned - the young volunteers, the projects which will host them during the period of voluntary service, the various partners at local level, non-governmental organisations etc. This decentralised approach is based on close cooperation between the Commission and Member States, particularly through the involvement of the national structures which have now been selected to assist with the implementation of the pilot action. In order to ensure appropriate support and coordination for the national structures, the Commission has appointed, following an open call for tender, a small operational support structure. This structure will be responsible for the collection and distribution of information on host projects, assistance with partner-finding, support, monitoring and evaluation of projects and the development of effective information and communications systems.

The Commission shares the view of the Honourable Members that validation is essential to the success of European voluntary service. It hopes that this action will help to promote wider recognition of the educational value of voluntary service, particularly in a transnational context. More specifically, proposed host projects are validated both by the national structures and by the Commission in order to ensure that they provide all the necessary guarantees with regard to activities and support for volunteers. Each young volunteer having successfully completed a period of voluntary service in the framework of the pilot action receives an attestation confirming the experience acquired. This attestation will be based on reports from the young volunteer and the host project.

The Commission working document 'Towards a European voluntary service for young people' ((SEC(95) 2268. )) clearly states that this pilot action is open to young people in the 18-25 age bracket. The Commission recognises that in some cases the specific requirements of voluntary service in third countries may justify the involvement of older volunteers. However, in general the pilot action should be considered as an element of youth policy, which offers a new kind of learning experience to young people outside the framework of formal education or vocational training. The Commission believes that this type of learning experience can be most effective for young people in the early years of their adult life, and therefore feels that, at this stage of development of the scheme, it would not be appropriate to raise the age limit above 25.

Appropriate preparation and training for young volunteers and, where necessary, for supervisors in host projects is essential in order to ensure that all involved get the most out of the experience. As far as possible, an educational programme for volunteers will be built into each project. Language training and intercultural awareness preparation will be made available to young volunteers. The Commission feels that it would not be appropriate at this stage to impose common standards on all projects, as suggested by the Honourable Members. It is possible to ensure that the pedagogical value of voluntary service remains a central element of this initiative, while at the same time respecting the diversity of national traditions and practices in this field. The Commission and the national structures pay close attention to this aspect in their assessment and selection of European voluntary service projects during the pilot action. Funding will be provided for relevant training activities and a number of initiatives are planned in order to develop a coherent and effective approach in this field.

With regard to Community financial support, grants for projects selected in the framework of the pilot action do not generally exceed 50% of the total budget. However, in cases where additional support is required in order to allow disadvantaged young people to participate, funding of more than 50% may be considered. Community financial support mainly helps to meet expenses linked to the volunteers' travel, insurance, allowance, training and support.

Further information on the Commission's approach to the implementation of the pilot action of European voluntary service for young people is included in a working document which is being sent directly to the Honourable Members and to the Parliament's Secretariat.