Resolution of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 16 May 2007 on implementing the common objectives for voluntary activities of young people
Date: 2007-05-16
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: European citizenship, open method of coordination, public awareness campaign, social participation, voluntary work, young person, youth policy

20.9.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

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I

(Resolutions, recommendations and opinions)

RESOLUTIONS

COUNCIL

Resolution of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States,
meeting within the Council of 16 May 2007 on implementing the common objectives for voluntary
activities of young people

(2008/C 241/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTA-
TIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING
WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

WHEREAS:

In its Resolution of 27 June 2002 (1), the Council adopted
the open method of coordination as a new framework for
European cooperation in the youth field and endorsed the
four thematic priority areas for youth highlighted in the
Commission's White Paper of November 2001 entitled
‘A new impetus for youth’, namely participation, information,
voluntary activities and a greater understanding and
knowledge of youth.

In its Resolution of 25 November 2003 (2), the Council
adopted common objectives for the first two priorities,
i.e. participation by and information for young people.

The European Voluntary Service (EVS) has been an Action
of the ‘Youth’ Programme since 1996 and a quality model
for
transnational voluntary service that allows young
people to engage in voluntary service in a variety of areas,
thereby encouraging their solidarity, active citizenship and
‘Youth in Action’
mutual understanding. The current
Programme reinforced this Action.

(8)

(9)

In its Communication of 30 April 2004 (3), the Commis-
sion proposed common objectives for voluntary activities
of young people, based on the replies of
the Member
States to a Commission questionnaire and after consulting
young people.

(1) OJ C 168, 13.7.2002, p. 2.
(2) OJ C 295, 5.12.2003, p. 6.
(3) Doc. 9182/04 (COM(2004) 337 final).

(5)

(6)

In its Resolution of 15 November 2004 (4), the Council
adopted the common objectives for voluntary activities of
young people,
facilitate, promote and
recognise voluntary activities, and agreed to report on the
implementation of those objectives by the end of 2006.

to develop,

i.e.

In its Resolution of 15 November 2004,
the Council
adopted common objectives for a greater understanding
and knowledge of youth which also tackled voluntary
activities. Member States agreed to identify existing
knowledge related to voluntary activities at
local and
national levels.

(7)

In its Resolution of 20 July 2006 (5), the Council recog-
nised the value of non-formal and informal
learning
within the European youth field.

In its Resolution of 31 October 2006 (6), on participation
by and information for young people, the Council also
reinforced the open method of coordination, building on
the Commission Communication of 20 July 2006 (7).

The 2007 Eurobarometer survey on youth (8),
indicates
that the large majority of young people have a positive
view of volunteering programmes as means of increasing
their participation in society.

(4) Resolution of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments
of the Member States meeting within the Council of 15 November
2004 on common objectives for voluntary activities of young people,
doc. 13996/04.

(5) OJ C 168, 20.7.2006, p. 1.
(6) OJ C 297, 7.12.2006, p. 6.
(7) COM(2006) 417 final.
(8) http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.html

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

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(10)

In its Communication of 5 September 2007 (1),
the
Commission proposed to confirm the relevance and
validity of the common objectives for voluntary activities
of young people. The Commission also proposed concrete
actions for
the common
improved implementation of
objectives,

EMPHASISE THAT:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

in its Communication on proposed common objectives for
voluntary activities among young people of 30 April
2004 (2), the Commission defines voluntary activities as all
kinds of voluntary engagement. They are characterised by
the following aspects: open to all, non-remunerated, under-
taken of own free will, educational
learning
aspect) and added social value;

(non-formal

voluntary activities need to be clearly distinguished from
employment and should by no means replace it;

it is important to preserve the different forms of voluntary
activities that exist in Member States;

implementation of

the Commission's analysis of the Member State's reports on
the
for
the
voluntary activities of young people confirms the validity of
the adopted common objectives as they have provided an
impetus for developing these activities further in a more
structured way;

common objectives

the open method of coordination in the youth field should
be reinforced as a means of better
implementing the
common objectives;

volunteering by young people should be promoted and
celebrated. This will demonstrate that many young people
do get involved as volunteers in their schools and local
communities in ways that help others.

NOTE THAT:

1.

2.

in order to make it easier to carry out voluntary activities
by removing existing obstacles, Member States should take
the measures they consider appropriate, in accordance with
Community law and in the framework of their national law,
so that volunteers and their families are not discriminated
against because of their mobility with respect to relevant
social protection, such as health care and social welfare
policies;

it is important that voluntary activities are promoted and
recognised as ways of acquiring personal, social and profes-
sional skills and competences by various actors, i.e. public
and private employers, social partners, civil society, schools,
young people themselves and their families;

(1) Doc. 12772/07 (COM(2007) 498 final).
(2) Doc. 9182/04 (COM(2004) 337 final).

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

the skills and competences acquired through voluntary
activities at local, regional, national and European levels can
contribute to increasing employment opportunities
for
young people and developing their sense of initiative, their
creative and entrepreneurial spirit and, as such, represent an
important aspect of the Lisbon Strategy;

voluntary activities play an important role in empowering a
young person which leads to his or her more active social
a general
participation,
inter-generational
feeling of solidarity in society and better social
inclusion
and cohesion,
in particular regarding young people with
fewer opportunities; furthermore, voluntary activities can
facilitate the transition of young people from education to
employment;

cooperation,

from high
all young people should be able to benefit
quality opportunities in volunteering. The initiatives must
reach young people, especially those with fewer opportu-
nities and offer them the possibilities to mix with others
and gain a sense of achievement. This is particularly impor-
tant since for young people and youth workers voluntary
activities are means of social recognition and continuous
self-development;

in many countries civil-society organisations are the key
actors in the voluntary activities of young people;

voluntary activities support the values of democracy and
solidarity and can help strengthen intercultural dialogue
and active citizenship by reinforcing the mobility of young
people. They already play an important role in European
policies such as external relations and cooperation policy.

AGREE THAT:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

the relevance and validity of the common objectives for
voluntary activities of young people adopted in 2004 are
confirmed and these objectives need to be further imple-
mented;

the lines of action for voluntary activities of young people
as agreed in 2004, will be adapted and reinforced, taking
into account recent developments in order to increase their
efficiency, as described in the Annex hereto;

improving the image of volunteering would encourage
young people to further engage in volunteering;

in order to raise the profile and increase the social recogni-
tion of voluntary activities, the means of raising awareness
of the public in general, and of young people in particular,
of the institutions from the local to European level, and of
other relevant stakeholders should be strengthened;

cross-sectoral

reinforcement of
co-ordination between
different policy fields is crucial given the transversal nature
of voluntary activities and the positive impact this would
have on the involvement of young people in voluntary
activities.

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INVITE THE MEMBER STATES TO:

NOTE THAT THE COMMISSION INTENDS TO:

1.

2.

3.

4.

for or

strategies

establish national
integrate voluntary
activities of young people and youth leaders/workers into
their national youth policy plans and develop relevant
programmes, where appropriate, in close cooperation with
the relevant stakeholders, such as civil-society organisations,
youth organisations and voluntary-based organisations;

those lines of action for
identify, by September 2008,
voluntary activities of young people on which they intend
to concentrate
and/or
and define national
concrete measures for their implementation;

strategies

set up preparatory and follow-up mechanisms to ensure the
the common objectives in
effective implementation of
cooperation with the relevant actors,
inter alia young
people, youth leaders, workers and their organisations, and
voluntary based organisations;

involve youth organisations and voluntary based organisa-
tions in the definition, development and implementation of
policies on youth volunteering;

5. promote the common objectives for voluntary activities for
young people amongst regional and local authorities, youth
organisations and young people and closely cooperate with
regional and local authorities;

6.

7.

8.

encourage enterprises to support voluntary youth activities
in the framework of their corporate social responsibility
schemes including by giving recognition to the skills and
competences acquired through voluntary activities in order
to facilitate a smooth transition of young people to the
labour market;

encourage the participation of young volunteers in major
international events, in particular taking into account the
Commission's White Paper on Sport and its related action
plan;

agree on the guiding values, principles and ethics of volun-
tary activities and discuss the need for additional
instru-
ments for promoting voluntary activities.

Launch a consultation with a view to possible new measures at
EU level to promote and recognise voluntary activities of young
people.

INVITE THE COMMISSION TO:

1.

2.

3.

in this context make proposals for tools to promote and
recognise voluntary activities of young people;

in cooperation with other stakeholders, promote the devel-
opment and recognition of voluntary activities of young
people through information about and by making full use
of instruments such as this Resolution, the European Volun-
tary Service, the European Quality Charter on Mobility, the
Europass and the planned European Qualifications Frame-
work;

consider the opportunity to organise a European Year to
promote volunteering in order to improve the image of
volunteering in society in general and among young people
in particular.

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION TO:

1.

2.

3.

reinforce the open method of coordination for voluntary
activities by undertaking exchanges of good practice and
peer-learning activities to strengthen the implementation of
including the elimination of
all the common objectives,
obstacles and an enhanced recognition of the skills and
competences acquired through volunteering;

broaden the mandate of
the working group set up at
European level to consider practical means of measuring
progress in participation by and information for young
people to include voluntary activities of young people;

implementation of

the common objectives

discuss
for
voluntary activities of young people at national and
European level in the framework of the 2009 evaluation of
the open method of co-ordination and the European
cooperation in the youth field in general.

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ANNEX

MEASURES TO REINFORCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMON OBJECTIVES FOR VOLUNTARY
ACTIVITIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Depending on the circumstances and priorities of each Member State, and without prejudice to the different
responsibilities of the national, regional and local authorities within the Member States, the following non-exhaustive list
of lines of action may be pursued.

1. Developing voluntary activities of young people

Encourage the development of voluntary activities of young people with the aim of enhancing awareness of the existing
opportunities, enlarging their scope and improving their quality.

At national, regional and local level

Given that there is a variety of traditions and practices of voluntary activities in the different Member States, establish
national strategies for, or integrate voluntary activities of young people and youth leaders/workers into their national
youth policy plans and develop relevant programmes in close cooperation with the relevant stakeholders, such as
civil-society organisations, youth organisations and voluntary organisations.

(a) With a view to creating a clear and visible picture of voluntary activities available to young people, continue work on
identifying existing models of voluntary activities (e.g. voluntary service, occasional voluntary engagement, etc.) and
voluntary organisations.

(b) Enhance existing voluntary activities of young people by:

— continuing to develop the different categories of these activities, and in particular broaden their range of possibili-

ties,

— continuing to support activities of particular interest to young people,

— continuing to support civil-society organisations active in voluntary engagement of young people,

— continuing to reinforce voluntary services where they already exist and, where appropriate, encouraging the crea-

tion of new ones.

(c) With a view to improving the quality of voluntary activities and their organisational framework, foster training oppor-

tunities for young volunteers and those coordinating and managing such activities.

(d) Strengthen support for voluntary activities at local level involving local organisations, including youth leaders/workers
and their organisations, bearing in mind the role they play in the promotion of active citizenship, in the development
of entrepreneurship, in social and cultural participation and in empowering young people.

(e) Develop voluntary activities in third countries as a way of promoting global youth cooperation, enhancing intercul-
tural dialogue and promoting the involvement of young people with fewer opportunities from different cultures and
regions.

At European level

(f) Encourage:

— a better coordination of the transnational cooperation of civic services, where they exist,

— an enhanced exchange of young volunteers in various domains,

— an enhanced exchange of information on national voluntary programmes and their European dimension by
elaborating peer-learning activities and ways to exchange best practices, taking into account the diversity of volun-
tary activities in the different Member States.

(g) Continue developing and promoting the European Voluntary Service (EVS) further within the framework of the

‘Youth in Action’ Programme.

(h) Take into consideration the feasibility of extending EVS to a wider range of actions with a view to giving young

people the possibility to participate in solidarity-related activities of the European Union.

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2. Facilitating voluntary activities of young people

Make it easier for young people to carry out voluntary activities by removing existing obstacles whilst respecting immigra-
tion controls, visa and entry requirements of Member States.

At all levels

(a) Take further 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 Mobility (1).

(b) Reinforce cross-sectoral cooperation between the relevant authorities in order to facilitate the issue of visas and resi-

dence permits to young volunteers when and where appropriate.

(c) 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 all kinds of obstacles and developing simplified procedures.

(d) Consider which legal frameworks and instruments can be improved to make it easier for young people to carry out
voluntary activities and for organisations to develop quality activities, paying particular attention to young people with
fewer opportunities and to the gender balance.

3. Promoting voluntary activities of young people

Promote voluntary activities with a view to reinforcing young people's solidarity and engagement as responsible citizens
whilst combating all forms of discrimination and stereotyping, promoting equality, social inclusion, and intergenerational
cooperation.

At national, regional and local level

(a) Disseminate information on volunteering at all appropriate levels, with the aim of raising young people's awareness
informing them about concrete possibilities to volunteer, providing advice and support and

about volunteering,
promoting a positive image of volunteering.

(b) Make efforts to encourage an enhanced cooperation between all relevant actors (young people, those active in youth
work and youth organisations, public authorities, private economic sector, schools, etc.) on the promotion of volun-
tary activities, by exchanging information, experience and good practice.

(c) Together with youth and voluntary organisations and other relevant actors analyse more carefully the phenomena that
lead to the exclusion of certain groups of young people from voluntary activities and develop specific, targeted and
tailor-made approaches focused on encouraging them to participate in voluntary activities, particularly for young
people with fewer opportunities.

(d) Encourage youth organisations and other voluntary organisations to organise and provide information on voluntary

activities and to promote them among their peers.

(e) Encourage enterprises to support voluntary youth activities in their social responsibility schemes.

At European level

(f) Launch appropriate information actions with a view to promoting voluntary activities of young people and the values

of volunteering.

At all levels

(g) Reinforce the participation of young volunteers in the context of major international events, in particular taking into

account the Commission's White Paper on Sport and its related action plan.

4. Recognising voluntary activities of young people

Recognise voluntary activities of young people with a view to acknowledging the value of their personal skills and their
engagement with society and the role that voluntary activities play in terms of facilitating the transition from education to
work and adult life.

(1) OJ L 215, 9.8.2001, p. 30.

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At national, regional and local level

(a) Acknowledge young people's voluntary involvement, acquired individual skills, knowledge and competences, by
supporting measures that lead to an enhanced recognition of voluntary activities at all
levels, by various actors,
e.g. public and private employers, social partners, civil society and young people themselves, and in the appropriate
form, taking into account the needs of young people, including young people with fewer opportunities.

(b) Acknowledge the added social value that the voluntary sector offers to society by developing actions such as aware-

ness-raising campaigns that lead to an enhanced recognition by society of voluntary activities.

(c) With a view to enhancing recognition and, where appropriate, developing certification of the competences acquired
through voluntary activities, involve the relevant representatives of voluntary and other youth organisations, social
partners, educational institutions and national authorities in facilitating this certification.

(d) Encourage enterprises to support volunteering activities in the framework of their corporate social responsibility
schemes including by giving recognition to the skills and competences acquired through voluntary activities in order
to facilitate a smooth transition of young people to the labour market.

At European level

(e) Develop a coherent approach to better recognition at work and in the knowledge-based society of skills, knowledge
and competences gained through volunteering in the framework of ongoing processes and by existing means in other
policy fields, such as the open method of coordination in the education field, the life-long learning strategy, the social
dialogue, corporate social responsibility, and in particular building on the planned Europass-Youth instrument.