Communication from the Commission to the Council - Follow-up to the White Paper on a New Impetus for European Youth - Proposed common objectives for voluntary activities among young people in response to the Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 regarding the framework of European cooperation in the youth field
Date: 2004-04-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, European citizenship, European cooperation, social participation, voluntary military service, voluntary work, young person, youth policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 30.4.2004 
COM(2004) 337 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 

Follow-up to the White Paper on a New Impetus for European Youth. Proposed 
common objectives for voluntary activities among young people in response to the 
Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 regarding the framework of European cooperation 
in the youth field 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

1.1. 

1.2. 

1.3. 

1.4. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Follow up to the White Paper on Youth....................................................................... 3 

European Voluntary Service (EVS) ............................................................................. 5 

Mobility of volunteers.................................................................................................. 5 

Recent political developments in the context of voluntary activities .......................... 6 

Common objectives to promote voluntary activities among young people................. 7 

Objective 1 - Develop voluntary activities of young people with the aim of  
enhancing the transparency of the existing possibilities, enlarging their scope  
and of improving their quality...................................................................................... 7 

Objective 2 - Making it easier for young people to carry out voluntary activities by 
removing existing obstacles ......................................................................................... 8 

Objective 3 - Promote voluntary activities with a view to reinforcing young people’s 
solidarity and engagement as citizens .......................................................................... 9 

Objective 4 - Recognise voluntary activities of young people with a view to 
acknowledging their personal skills and their engagement for society...................... 10 

3. 

Implementing and monitoring mechanisms ............................................................... 10 

2 

 
 
  
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION  

1.1. 

Follow up to the White Paper on Youth 

General background 

The  present  Communication  follows  on  from  the  White  Paper  on  youth1,  approved 
by  the  Commission  on  21  November  2001,  and  the  Council  Resolution  of  27  June 
2002 setting a new framework for co-operation in the youth field.2 In this Resolution, 
the  Council  called  for  the  open  method  of  co-ordination  to  be  applied  to  four 
priorities i.e. participation by young people, information of young people, voluntary 
activities among young people and a greater understanding and knowledge of youth. 
Pursuant  to  this  mandate,  the  Commission  first  proposed  common  objectives  for 
participation  by  and  information  of  young  people3  which  were  adopted  by  the 
Council in its Resolution of 25 November 2003.4 

In  the  present  communication,  the  Commission  proposes  common  objectives  for 
voluntary activities of young people. This proposal for common objectives is based 
on the Member States' and acceding countries’ answers to questions5 about their own 
situation and their expectations at European level. It reflects the consensus resulting 
from the analysis of the answers. 

The  European  Youth  Forum  was  consulted  during  the  preparation  of  the  proposed 
common  objectives.  The  Member  States and acceding countries were also asked to 
consult  young  people,  and  in  particular  young  volunteers,  youth  and  volunteer 
organisations and other relevant stakeholders in the field. 

The Commission’s analysis of the Member States’ and acceding countries' replies to 
the questionnaire can be found in a Commission staff working paper6. This working 
paper highlights the different challenges - at national as well as at European level - 
identified  by  the  Member  States  and  acceding  countries  on  voluntary  activities  of 
young  people.  Concrete  examples  of  good  practice  are  given  for  the  different 
described challenges. 

In parallel to this exercise on voluntary activities the same procedure is being carried 
out for the priority a greater understanding and knowledge of youth.  

1 
2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Commission White Paper “A New Impetus for European Youth”, COM (2001) 681 final 
Resolution  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the  Member  States, 
Meeting within the Council of 27 June 2002 regarding the framework of European cooperation in the 
youth field (2002/C 168/02). 
Communication from the Commission to the Council, Follow-up to the White Paper on a New Impetus 
for  European  Youth.  Proposed  common  objectives  for  the  participation  and  information  of  young 
people, in response to the Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 regarding the framework of European co-
operation in the youth field, COM(2003)184 final, of 11 April 2003  
Council Resolution of 25 November 2003 on common objectives for participation by and information 
for young people (2003/C 295/04) 
The questionnaire was drawn up in consultation with the Member States and acceding countries as well 
as  with  the  Youth  Forum.  It  was  sent  to  the  Member  States,  the  acceding  countries  and  to  three 
candidate countries, i.e. Bulgaria, Rumania and Turkey. The latter were invited to reply on a voluntary 
basis. 
Commission staff working Paper, Analysis of Member States’ and Acceding Countries’ replies to the 
Commission questionnaire on voluntary activities of young people 

3 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Voluntary activities in the White Paper  

The White Paper "A new impetus for European youth" identifies voluntary activities 
as a priority theme for future co-operation in the youth field. It considers voluntary 
activities  for  young  people  as  a  form  of  social  participation,  an  educational 
experience  and  a  factor  of  employability  and  integration.  They  thus  represent  an 
instrument for the development of active citizenship.  

The White Paper lists the following possible actions regarding voluntary activities:  

– 

– 

– 

Stepping up voluntary activities at national, regional and local levels. 

Examining  the  situation  of  young  volunteers  in  terms  of  legal  and  social 
protection and removing the obstacles to the mobility of young volunteers. 

Recognising voluntary activities as an educational experience and a period of 
non-formal learning. 

–  Widening European Voluntary Service to include a partnership with worldwide 

bodies which organise and support voluntary action. 

Shortly after the adoption of the White Paper the Council underlined the importance 
of  voluntary  activities  of  young  people  in  a  Resolution  on  Voluntary  Work  for 
Young People7 which aims at reinforcing and further developing voluntary activities 
for young people. 

Taking the White Paper as well as its previous Resolution into account the Council 
identified in its Resolution regarding the framework of European cooperation in 
the youth field, the following general objectives for voluntary activities: 

– 

– 

– 

Facilitating  opportunities  for 
the  exercise  of  solidarity  and  voluntary 
commitment  by  young  people  and  promoting  networks  among  all  the  actors 
involved. 

Promoting voluntary activities that allow young people to develop their sense 
of commitment and active citizenship, individual and social skills, and to gain 
useful knowledge and abilities which help them to play a fuller part in society 
and enhance their employability. 

Fostering  recognition  and  appreciation  of  voluntary  activities,  inter  alia,  by 
public authorities, the business sector and civil society. 

7 

Resolution  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the  Member  States, 
meeting  within  the  Council  of  14  February  2002  on  the  added  value  of  voluntary  activity  for  young 
people in the context of the development of Community action on youth 

4 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Due to the fact that there is a variety of traditions and practices of voluntary activities 
in  the  different  States  and  in  order  to  allow  for  clarity  in  the  context  of  the 
questionnaire and the proposal for common objectives, the following definitions have 
been used:  

Voluntary activities are all kinds of voluntary engagement. They are characterised 
by  the  following  aspects:  open  to  all,  unpaid,  undertaken  by  own  free  will, 
educational (non-formal learning aspect) and added social value. 

Voluntary  service  is  part  of  voluntary  activities  and  is  characterised  by  the 
following additional aspects: fixed period; clear objectives, contents, tasks, structure 
and framework; appropriate support and legal and social protection. 

Civic service is a voluntary service managed by the State- or on behalf of the State- 
e.g. in the social field or in civil protection. 

Civilian service is an alternative to compulsory military service in some countries, 
but not voluntary. 

1.2. 

European Voluntary Service (EVS) 

The  European  Voluntary  Service  (EVS),  which  is  the  Action  2  of  the  YOUTH 
Programme8,  allows  3.500  young  people  from  31  European  countries9  as  well  as 
from third countries per year to engage in volunteering in a variety of areas either in 
EU countries or in third countries, with a funding of approximately 33 million EURO 
in 2004. The EVS is a quality model for transnational voluntary service and aims at 
developing the solidarity of young people, promoting their citizenship and supporting 
the  mutual  understanding  of  young  people.  A  key  element  is  the  balance  between 
providing  service  to  the  community  and  non-formal  learning.  Young  volunteers 
receive  training  and  acquire  new  skills  and  competences.  A  European  certificate  is 
issued at the end of the service. 

The Commission is developing the EVS further in view of giving it a stronger impact 
and visibility, but also to strengthen its collective aspect and the cooperation between 
voluntary services. Within the context of its proposal for a future generation of the 
YOUTH Programme, it envisages to enlarge the EVS in order to give young people 
the possibility to express their personal engagement but also to associate them to the 
actions of solidarity of the European Union. 

1.3.  Mobility of volunteers  

The  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  adopted  a  Recommendation  on  10  July 
2001 on mobility10 within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, 
volunteers,  teachers  and  trainers  and  recommended  therein  measures  which 

8 

9 

10

on 

Programme 

information 

the  YOUTH 

More 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth 
The 25 EU Member States as of 1 May 2004, the 3 countries of the European Economic Area and the 3 
pre-accession countries. For further details please see the User’s Guide for the YOUTH Programme on 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth 
Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 10 July 2001 on mobility within the 
Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers (2001/613/CE) 

and  EVS 

found 

can 

on 

be 

5 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
 
specifically  concern  volunteers.  In  a  recent  report  on  the  follow-up  to  the 
Recommendation on mobility11 the Commission concluded, among other things, that  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  specific  status  of  volunteers  is  still  lacking  recognition  in  national  legal 
and administrative frameworks. 

In a number of countries voluntary work is treated as equivalent to employment 
and is therefore subjected to the same regulations. 

Volunteering  at  European  level  is  mainly  through  the  European  Voluntary 
Service (EVS) within the framework of the YOUTH Programme whose basic 
legal act also calls for the removal of obstacles to mobility. 

EVS seems to be the only case of certification of voluntary activity abroad. 

Equally, it is only in the case of EVS that volunteers are automatically insured 
when undertaking a period of volunteering abroad. 

1.4. 

Recent political developments in the context of voluntary activities 

Draft Constitutional Treaty:  

In its draft Constitutional Treaty for the European Union, the European Convention 
proposes  to  set  up  of  a  voluntary  corps  of  young  people  in  order  to  establish  a 
framework  for  joint  contributions from young Europeans to actions  of solidarity of 
the European Union, particularly in the international context. 

Without  prejudging  on  the  final  contents  of  the  Constitutional  Treaty,  the 
Commission may take any useful initiatives to promote coordination between actions 
of  the  European  Union  and  those  of  the  Member  States,  in  order  to  enhance  the 
efficiency  and  complementarity  of  Union  and  national  measures  of  solidarity 
involving young people.  

Rome Conference: Closer cooperation of civic services and the youth sector 

From  28-29  November  2003  the  Italian  Presidency  organised  the  first  European 
conference  on  Civic  Service  for  Youth  with  support  from  the  Commission.  The 
conference aimed at allowing an exchange of views, activities and national practices 
on  the  civic  service  of  young  people.  Another  objective  of  the  conference  was  to 
identify  ways  of  a  closer  cooperation  between  civic  services  at  European  level, 
including  the  European  Voluntary  Service  (EVS).  Participants  were  high  level 
officials  from  the  Member  States  and  future  Member  States,  the  Commission  and 
NGOs active in the youth field or in voluntary service.  

In  the  Conclusions  of  the  President  of  the  conference12  it  is  suggested  to  further 
discuss,  follow  up  and  monitor  the  cooperation  among  civic  services  in  the 

11 

Report  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  Economic  and 
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Report on the follow-up to the Recommendation 
of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  of  10  July  2001  on  mobility  within  the  Community  of 
students,  persons  undergoing  training,  volunteers  and  teachers  and  trainers,  COM(2004)21final  of  23 
January 2004 

6 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
framework of the open method of coordination for youth. A reinforced participation 
of young people in these activities with a view to strengthening their citizenship and 
solidarity is proposed. 

Other issues reiterated in the Conclusions are: the reinforcement of the transnational 
cooperation  and  of  the  exchange  of  young  volunteers  in  a  number  of  domains,  the 
recognition of the civic service experience and a systematic and regular exchange of 
information and good practices13.  

2. 

COMMON  OBJECTIVES  TO  PROMOTE  VOLUNTARY  ACTIVITIES  AMONG  YOUNG 
PEOPLE 

Having regard to Member States’ and acceding countries’ replies to its questionnaire, 
and taking into consideration the  initiatives and developments described above, the 
Commission  proposes  the  following  overall  goal  for  voluntary  activities  of  young 
people:  

In view of enhancing active citizenship and solidarity of young people, voluntary 
activities should be developed, promoted, and recognised at all levels.  

To achieve this overall goal the following common objectives are proposed:  

(1) 

Develop voluntary activities of young people with the aim of enhancing the 
transparency  of  the  existing  possibilities,  enlarging  their  scope  and 
improving their quality. 

(2)  Making  it  easier  for  young  people  to  carry  out  voluntary  activities  by 

removing existing obstacles.  

(3) 

(4) 

Promote  voluntary  activities  with  a  view  to  reinforcing  young  people’s 
solidarity and engagement as citizens. 

Recognise  voluntary  activities  of  young  people  with  a  view 
acknowledging their personal skills and their engagement for society. 

to 

2.1. 

Objective  1  -  Develop  voluntary  activities  of  young  people  with  the  aim  of 
enhancing  the  transparency  of  the  existing  possibilities,  enlarging  their  scope 
and of improving their quality 

The possibilities for young people to engage in voluntary activities vary considerably 
in the different countries. There is a wide range of voluntary activities available for 
young people within the Member States and acceding countries covering structured 
organised  voluntary  services  as  well  as  occasional  voluntary  engagements.  But  the 
situation  varies  widely  from  one  Member  State  to  another.  In  almost  all  Member 
States  youth  and  voluntary  organisations  have  a  major  role  to  play.  The  European 
Voluntary  Service  (EVS),  part  of  the  European  Union’s  YOUTH  Programme,  is 
sometimes the only possibility for young people to carry out a voluntary service.  

12 

13 

The conference was chaired by the Italian Minister responsible for the contacts with the Parliament, Mr. 
Carlo Giovanardi 
The full text of the Conclusions of the conference can be found on http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth 

7 

 
 
  
 
                                                                                                                                                         
The  lack  of  visibility  and  clarity  in  the  organisation  of  voluntary  activities  in  the 
Member States makes it difficult for young people interested in volunteering to find 
out about the existing possibilities, be it at national or European level. It is equally 
difficult  for  voluntary  and  youth  organisations  to  identify  potential  partners  for 
networking  and  cooperation,  be  it  at  local,  regional,  national,  European  or 
international level. Likewise it is not easy for decision-makers to guide their support 
to voluntary activities of young people. Better visibility and transparency should be 
accompanied  by  supporting  and  incentive  mechanisms  to  enlarge  the  scope  and 
possibilities of youth voluntary activities as well as their overall quality. 

In order to achieve objective 1 the following lines of action are proposed:  

At national, regional and local level 

•  Identify  and  classify  existing  voluntary  activities  (e.g.  voluntary  service, 
occasional  voluntary  engagement,  etc…)  in  view  of  creating  a  clear  and  visible 
picture of voluntary activities available for young people. 

•  Enhance existing voluntary activities of young people by developing the different 
categories  of  these  activities  further  by  supporting  civil  society  organisations 
active  in  voluntary  engagement  of  young  people,  reinforcing  voluntary  services 
where they already exist and, where appropriate, create new ones.  

•  Foster  training  opportunities  for  young  volunteers  and  those  supervising  and 
managing  with  a  view  to  improving  the  quality  of  voluntary  activities  and  their 
organisational framework.  

At European level 

•  Encourage  a  better  coordination  of  the  various  voluntary  activities,  and  in 
particular of the transnational cooperation of civic services, where they exist, and 
encourage the exchange of young volunteers in various domains.  

•  Disseminate  and  promote  the  exchange  of  information  on  national  voluntary 

programmes and their European dimension. 

•  Take into consideration the opportunity and feasibility of extending the European 
Voluntary Service (EVS) to a wider range of actions with a view to giving young 
people the possibility to participate in actions of solidarity of the European Union. 

2.2. 

Objective 2 - Making it easier for young people to carry out voluntary activities 
by removing existing obstacles 

Young  people  who  want  to  engage  in  voluntary  activities  meet  a  number  of 
difficulties.  These  difficulties  are  of  different  natures:  lack  of  social  protection, 
taxation  of  pocket  money,  refusal  of  visa  and  residence  permits  (this  can  affect 
voluntary activities of EU nationals in third countries and of third country nationals 
in  EU  countries  but  should  not  affect  EU  nationals  in  another  EU  Member  State), 
language  problems,  lack  of  training,  heavy  procedures,  etc…  These  difficulties 
represent  real  obstacles  to  the  exercise  of  voluntary  activities  of  young  people  and 
limit the access to them of a greater number of young Europeans.  

8 

 
 
  
 
In order to achieve objective 2 the following lines of action are proposed: 

At all levels 

•  Take  the  measures  considered  appropriate  “…  to  remove  the  legal  and 
administrative  obstacles  to  the  mobility  of  persons  undertaking  …  a  voluntary 
activity…”, as set out in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and the 
Council on Mobility14. 

•  Ensure  that  young  volunteers  receive  the  visas  and  residence  permits  when  and 

where needed.  

•  Enhance the exchange of information, experience and good practice of all relevant 
actors  in  the  field  of  voluntary  activities  of  young  people  with  the  aim  of 
removing obstacles.  

•  Consider  if  legal  means  and  instruments  could  help  reach  the  aim  of  making  it 

easier for young people to carry out voluntary activities. 

2.3. 

Objective  3  -  Promote  voluntary  activities  with  a  view  to  reinforcing  young 
people’s solidarity and engagement as citizens  

The  promotion  of  voluntary  activities  among  young  people  aims  at  raising  young 
people’s awareness about volunteering and increase the number of young volunteers. 
Moreover it aims particularly at creating conditions for an increased participation of 
young  people  with  less  opportunities  in  voluntary  activities.  In  order  to  achieve 
objective 3 the following lines of action are proposed.  

At national, regional and local level 

•  Disseminate information on volunteering at all appropriate levels, with the aim to 
raise  young  people’s  awareness  about  volunteering,  inform  them  about  concrete 
possibilities  to  volunteer,  provide  advise  and  support  and  promote  a  positive 
image of volunteering. 

•  Encourage  an  enhanced  cooperation  between  all  relevant  actors  (young  people, 
youth  and  voluntary  organisations,  public  authorities,  private  economic  sector, 
etc…)  on  the  promotion  of  voluntary  activities,  by  exchanging  information, 
experience and good practice.  

•  Analyse more carefully the phenomena that lead to the exclusion of certain groups 
of  young  people  from  voluntary  activities  and  develop  approaches  focused  on 
encouraging  them  to  participate  in  voluntary  activities,  also  by  creating 
possibilities of voluntary activities at the appropriate levels that correspond to the 
needs of these groups. 

At European level 

•  Launch  appropriate  information  actions  with  a  view  to  promoting  voluntary 

activities of young people as well as the values of voluntarism. 

14 

See point 1.3. 

9 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
2.4. 

Objective  4  -  Recognise  voluntary  activities  of  young  people  with  a  view  to 
acknowledging their personal skills and their engagement for society  

Young  people  who  engage  in  voluntary  activities  often  experience  that  this 
engagement  is  not  or  not  properly  recognised.  Recognition  of  the  voluntary 
experience at all levels and by various actors, e.g. public authorities, private business, 
social  partners  and  civil  society  should  be  enhanced.  It  would  acknowledge  the 
young  people’s  voluntary  engagement  for  society,  their  educational  experience 
their  such  acquired  social,  personal 
gained 
competencies  and  professional  skills.  Recognition  would  also  enhance  their  status 
and employability. In order to achieve objective 4 the following lines of action are 
proposed: 

through  non-formal 

learning, 

At national, regional and local level 

•  Develop  measures  that  lead  to  an  enhanced  recognition  of  voluntary  activities 
with  a  view  to  acknowledging  the  young  people’s  voluntary  engagement  and 
acquired  skills.  Recognition  should  be  reinforced  at  all  levels  and  by  various 
actors,  e.g.  public  authorities,  private  business,  social  partners  and  civil  society 
and  young  people  themselves.  The  level  and  format  of  recognition  should  be 
appropriate  to  the  voluntary  activities  carried  out  and  could  take  the  form  of 
certificates,  reward  schemes,  awards,  reduced  fees,  study  and  employment 
incentives, etc… 

•  Develop actions that lead to an enhanced recognition of voluntary activities with a 
view to acknowledging the added social value that the voluntary sector offers to 
society. Recognition could take the form of a National Volunteers Day, a National 
Volunteers Action Week, awards to groups of volunteers, etc…. 

At European level 

•  Enhance  the  recognition  of  voluntary  activities  at  occasions  as  the  European 

Youth Week, the European Volunteer’s Day, etc…. 

•  Ensure  a  better  recognition  of  voluntary  experience  of  young  people  in  the 
framework of ongoing processes and by existing means in other policy fields, as 
e.g. the open method of coordination in the education field, the life-long learning 
strategy, the development of the Europass, the social dialogue, etc... 

3. 

IMPLEMENTING AND MONITORING MECHANISMS 

Implementing and monitoring the common objectives is a major element of the open 
method  of  coordination  set  up  in  the  Resolution  regarding  the  framework  of 
European  cooperation  in  the  youth  field.  This  principle  was  already  applied  to  the 
priorities  participation  and  information  of  young  people  for  which  the  Council 
adopted  a  Resolution  on  common  objectives  on  25  November  2003.  In  this 
Resolution  the  Council  invited  the  Member  States  to  specify  implementing  and 
follow-up  measures,  in  the  light  of  their  particular  circumstances  and  national 
priorities  It  also  invited  them  to  submit reports  on  the  national  contributions  to  the 
implementation of the common objectives by the end of 2005. 

10 

 
 
  
 
On the basis of the national reports the Commission will prepare a progress report for 
submission to the Council and propose, if appropriate, amendments to the common 
objectives– and inform the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social 
Committee  and the Committee of the  Regions thereof. Pursuant to an  invitation  by 
the Council the Commission will also convene, when appropriate, representatives of 
the national administrations dealing with youth, in order to promote the exchange of 
information on the progress made and on best practice. 

It is suggested to apply the same principles to the common objectives on voluntary 
activities.  In  consequence  the  Commission  proposes  that  Member  States  agree  to 
achieve  all  the  common  objectives  approved  and  submit  reports  on  the  national 
contributions to the implementation of the common objectives on voluntary activities 
by  the  end  of  2006,  after  consulting  young  people  and  their  associations,  young 
volunteers  and  volunteer  organisations,  as  well  as,  if  appropriate,  national  and 
regional youth councils via the channels they consider appropriate. 

These  proposals  for  common  objectives  for  voluntary  activities  will  be  sent  to  the 
European  Parliament,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee of the Regions. 

11