Proposal for a Council recommendation on mobility of young volunteers across Europe {SEC(2008) 2174} {SEC(2008) 2175}
Date: 2008-07-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, free movement of persons, student mobility, vocational training

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 3.7.2008 
COM(2008) 424 final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

on mobility of young volunteers across Europe 

{SEC(2008) 2174} 
{SEC(2008) 2175} 

 (presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 

This  initiative  aims  to  promote  the  mobility  of  young  volunteers  in  Europe  and  is  a 
component of the EU's "Renewed Social Agenda: Opportunities, Access and Solidarity in 21st 
century  Europe".  It  seeks  to  open  up  new  opportunities  for  mobility  of  young  volunteers 
across  Member  States,  and  contribute  to  the  development  and  accessibility  of  youth 
education,  given  that  volunteering  is  an  important  form  of  non-formal  learning.  It  will  also 
help build solidarity between individuals and communities. 

Youth  mobility  will  be  promoted  by  inviting  Member  States  to  further  develop  the 
interoperability of their national schemes for voluntary activities, whether organised by civil 
to  cross-border 
society  and/or  public  authorities,  and  address  remaining  obstacles 
volunteering.  Trans-national  mobility  of  volunteers  raises  citizens'  knowledge  of  other  EU 
countries and labour markets and promotes social inclusion and employability. Cross-border 
mobility  for  youth  volunteers  can  strongly  contribute  to  Europe's  competitiveness  and 
solidarity, and enhance, in particular, a sense of European citizenship.  

Obstacles  to  trans-national  mobility  of  youth  volunteers  waste  human  resources.  Through 
non-formal learning, cross-border volunteering can lead to enhanced skills and competences 
which increase youth employability. With high youth unemployment in many parts of the EU, 
volunteering is a means to bridge the gap between school education and employment. Today's 
globalising marketplace puts a premium on people who are multilingual and multicultural. For 
creativity and innovation to flourish, the EU's youth should have the widest of opportunities 
to  broaden  their  horizons  and  realise  their  potential.  Opening  up  more  cross-border 
volunteering opportunities for all youth across Europe would contribute to the implementation 
of the European Youth Pact and help achieve the Lisbon strategy goals.  

Youth volunteering can help strengthen social solidarity in Europe but such activity could also 
be put to the service of other common policy goals such as civil protection, social inclusion, 
cultural preservation, regional development and the environment. The EU also needs to raise 
awareness of its value among young Europeans for the European project as a whole to move 
forward.  In  this  initiative,  EU  intervention  would  help  lift  the  technical  and  administrative 
barriers that prevent citizens from making their own contribution to the cause of solidarity—
something  which  many  youth  feel  strongly  about—while  at  the  same  time  protecting  and 
valorising  the  rich  diversity  of  schemes  and  traditions  that  exist  and  continue  to  develop  in 
Europe.  

General context 

Voluntary activities of young people have gained importance at national and European level 
in  recent  years.  There  is  general  agreement  on  the  fact  that  volunteering  plays  a  significant 
role in the social, professional and economic integration of young people (particularly young 
people with fewer opportunities) and also benefits the communities in which they serve.  

These  benefits  are  even  greater  in  the  case  of  cross-border  volunteering.  Experience  shows 
that voluntary engagement in another country impacts strongly on a young person and his/her 
personal and professional development. In fact, the benefits of cross-border volunteering are 
clear to those who are engaged in it: 62% of former volunteers under the European Voluntary 

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Service (EVS), an Action of the Youth in Action Programme1, consider that this experience 
has changed for the better their career possibilities. The cross-border community in which the 
youth volunteers engage is also enriched, both culturally and economically, by the volunteer's 
participation and activity in that particular community.  

Demand for volunteering opportunities is also expanding: a 2008 survey by the Association of 
Voluntary Organisations (AVSO) of 138 volunteer organisations estimates that the number of 
their  volunteers  has  grown  from  2007  to  20082.  In  2007,  approximately  4000  cross-border 
youth  volunteers  were  financed  under  the  EVS,  meeting  74%  of  the  number  of  requests.  In 
that particular year it was necessary to raise the EVS budget to the detriment of other actions 
in the 'Youth in Action' Programme. EVS requests have further increased by 17% so far this 
year. 
As for potential demand, a 2007 Eurobarometer3 survey of youth in the Member States found 
that while only 16% of the interviewed young people participate in a voluntary activity, 74% 
would be interested in a volunteering experience if there were more programmes encouraging 
it. There are currently 96 million young people between the age of 15 and 29 in the European 
Union. Even if only 1% of all young people in the age group wished to participate in a cross-
border  volunteering  project,  this  would  still  represent  64 000 young  volunteers  abroad  per 
year.  

Key issue limiting cross-border volunteering between Member States in the EU 

Despite  such  interest,  there  is  a  serious  dearth  of  opportunities  for  trans-European 
volunteering and national schemes (whether civil society or public authorities) alone can not 
meet  this  specific  demand.  Lack  of  interoperability  between  the  different  national  schemes 
and  the  scarcity  of  the  information  available  entail  that,  apart  from  the  limited  possibilities 
offered by EVS, it is often the case that doing a spell of voluntary work outside Europe in the 
framework of development aid is easier than volunteering in another EU country. 

Existing provisions in the area of the proposal 

The proposed Recommendation belongs to a series of initiatives at European level aimed at 
enhancing mobility. The Recommendations of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
2001  and  20064  on  transversal  mobility  are  two  important  references,  but  these  focus 
primarily on students and teachers and to a much lesser extent on volunteers. They deal with 
general issues such as recognition, obstacles and the conditions of mobility, but lack tailored 
proposals that adequately address the particular needs of young volunteers.  

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Decision No 1719/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 
establishing the "Youth in Action" programme for the period 2007 to 2013, OJ L 327 of 24.11.2006, 
p.30.  
Survey  of  AVSO  and  Youthnetworks;  NoBorders  Foundation,  Netherlands,  28  February  2008; 
http://www.avso.org/ 
"Looking Behind the Figures: The main results of the Eurobarometer 2007 survey on youth", Office of 
Official  Publications  of  the  European  Communities,  Luxemburg,  2007,  ISBN  978-92-79-05540-9, 
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm 
Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 July 2001 on mobility within the 
Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers, OJ L 215/30 of 
9.8.2001, p. 30., and Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 
2006  on  transnational  mobility  within  the  Community  for  education  and  training  purposes:  European 
Quality Charter for Mobility, OJ L 394 of 30.12.2006, p. 5. 

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The  European  Parliament  recognised  the  problem  of  lack  of  interoperability  of  national 
systems for volunteering of young people at European level, and proposed some preparatory 
measures in the 2008 budget for improving the situation through a project called Amicus. In 
April  2008  the  European  Parliament  adopted  the  report  on  the  "Role  of  Volunteering  in 
Contributing  to  Economic  and  Social  Cohesion"5,  prepared  by  MEP  Marian  Harkin.  The 
report encourages Member States and regional and local authorities to recognise the value of 
volunteering in promoting social and economic cohesion, and recommends the promotion of 
cross-border voluntary projects. 

The  conditions  of  admission  of  third-country  nationals  for  the  purposes  of  studies,  pupil 
exchange,  unremunerated  training  or  voluntary  service  are  set  out  by  Council  Directive 
2004/114/EC6, which provides the possibility of granting special residence permits issued to 
third-country  nationals  who  apply  to  be  admitted  to  the  territory  of  a  Member  State  for  the 
purpose of volunteering. 

The  European  Voluntary  Service  (EVS)  has  been  an  integral  part  of  the  Union's  youth 
programmes since 1996, and is constantly being developed further. It thus could provide an 
example when it comes to trans-national volunteering. EVS, however, has yet to achieve wide 
brand recognition as, for example, the ERASMUS program and remains—and will remain—
quantitatively limited. 

The  launch  of  the  open  method  of  coordination  on  youth  policies  in  2002  has  greatly 
contributed to keeping youth volunteering on the political agenda, and has led to the adoption 
of  common  objectives  in  2004  and  of  a  Council  Resolution  in  2007.  Throughout  these 
initiatives,  volunteering  is  increasingly  seen  as  a  valuable  opportunity  for  the  personal 
development and the employability of young people, and constitutes an effective and concrete 
way to "invest in youth" in an ageing society. 

Despite  all  these  positive  outcomes,  the  trans-national  dimension  of  volunteering  of  young 
people in Europe is still limited and there is definitely room for further progress.  

Consistency with other policies and objectives of the Union 

The objectives of this recommendation are in line with those underpinning European action in 
the areas of education and training, the principles of lifelong learning as well as those of the 
European Employment strategy. They are also fully consistent with the EU strategy for social 
inclusion and would enhance a sense of European citizenship. Positive spill-over effects could 
also be expected in the area of external relations as better interoperability of national schemes 
and  more  information  sharing  may  stimulate  young  Europeans  to  volunteer  more  in  third 
countries and allow more exchanges with third countries. This would enhance the EU's profile 
as a global actor.  

Stakeholders' Consultation  

In  February  2008,  a  stakeholder  consultation  of  the  European  level  umbrella  youth  and 
volunteering organisations and national youth and volunteering organisations took place. At 
this  meeting,  it  became  clear  that  civil  society  counts  on  the  Commission  to  take  action  in 

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REGI/6/50546, 2007/2149, of 21 April 2008 
Council Directive 2004/114/EC of 13 December 2004 on the conditions of admission of third-country 
nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service, OJ L 
375, 23.12.2004, p.12. 

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order  to  facilitate  and  improve  the  situation  of  young  volunteers.  The  youth  and  voluntary 
organisations support the Commission's trans-European approach, and welcome the intention 
of  enhancing  mobility.  They  also  confirm  the  challenges  identified  by  the  Commission. 
Following  this  meeting,  some  of  the  organisations  present,  such  as  the  Association  of 
Voluntary Organisations (AVSO) and the European Volunteer Centre (CEV) delivered their 
comments  in  writing  to  the  Commission.  The  recognition  of  volunteering  through  EU 
instruments was strongly supported by both NGOs. The European Youth Forum (EYF) also 
supports  the  Commission's  proposal  to  add  European  value  to  the  voluntary  activities  of 
young people. They insisted that the new initiative should cover all kinds of national schemes 
and  not  only  national  civic  services,  and  provide  a  framework  for  the  rights  of  volunteers. 
They  also  suggested  that  the  need  for  quality  assurance  could  be  addressed  with  a  self-
assessment tool.  

Member States' consultation 

In preparing this Recommendation the Commission has relied to a great extent on the national 
reports  of  Member  States  on  youth  volunteering  of  2006/2007.  The  reports  show  that  for 
many Member States the European Voluntary Service is the main (or the only) tool of trans-
European  youth  volunteering.  Member  States  praise  EVS  but  recognise  its  limited  outreach 
and  budgetary  and  organisational  constraints,  as  there  are  many  more  young  people  than 
volunteering opportunities that EVS can provide. As a result, only few Member States have 
established  effective  forms  of  trans-border  volunteering.  In  addition,  the  Commission 
organised a consultation meeting with high-level representatives of Member States in March 
2008: there was a consensus on the importance among the Member States of the mobility and 
interoperability concept presented by the Commission. Some preliminary ideas have also been 
discussed with the Member States' Directors-General for Youth in April 2008: Member States 
were  quite  interested  by  the  idea  of  creating  greater  interoperability  of  national  youth 
volunteering schemes and a better mobility for young volunteers. There was also confirmation 
that it would be important to tackle social and administrative obstacles to youth volunteering.  
Member States themselves have reported a number of specific obstacles to the Commission7. 
These in particular include: 

-  Lack  of  knowledge,  information,  support  and  accessibility:  Knowledge  of  volunteering 
needs to be deeper and broader, opportunities made more readily accessible and information 
between stakeholders better exchanged. 

incomplete  healthcare  coverage  and  possible 

-  Socio-economic  obstacles: 
loss  of 
unemployment and other social security benefits during volunteering spells are an important 
disincentive; youth with fewer opportunities in particular face additional problems making use 
of  volunteering  schemes  and  require  more  specific,  targeted  and  tailor-made  promotional 
measures;  

- Lack of recognition: Proper acknowledgement and recognition of volunteering spells would 
facilitate the transition from education to employment and motivate young people to engage 
more in these activities. Sometimes, a less than positive perception of volunteering, based on 

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Commission  Staff  Working  Document  "Analysis  of  National  Reports  from  the  Member  States  of  the 
European Union Concerning the Implementation of the Common Objectives for Voluntary Activities of 
Young People", SEC(2007)1084 of 5.9.2007 

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a lack of appreciation by some prospective employers of volunteering cross-border can deter 
young people from applying to such activities.  

Impact assessment 

The impact assessment underlines the added value that this recommendation would bring in 
promoting the mobility of young volunteers in Europe. It defines the problem at stake as well 
as the rationale for a policy action at EU level. The impact assessment addresses the aims of 
the initiative in terms of general and specific objectives, analyses the various ways of ensuring 
the achievement of the proposed objectives, and proposes the most suitable option and choice 
of legal instrument.  

Failure  to  take  any  action  would  allow  the  present  unsatisfactory  situation  to  continue. 
Obstacles  to  the  trans-national  mobility  of  young  volunteers  would  persist,  and  the 
expectations of stakeholders, and many European youth, would not be met. 

The option of expanding EVS into a universal service would have the advantage of offering a 
quality  European  volunteering  opportunity  to  each  young  European  resident  who  wishes  it, 
but  it  is  not  feasible  for  both  practical  and  financial  reasons:  it  would  require  an  enormous 
organisational  and  administrative  body  at  EU  level  and  need  a  significantly  higher  budget 
incompatible with available financial resources and the budgetary framework for 2007-2013. 
Another  important  drawback  would  be  the  risk  of  reducing  the  diversity  of  schemes  that 
currently exist in Europe, which is one of the main characteristics of the voluntary sector that 
should be preserved and valorised.  

The harmonisation of national systems in this field is ruled out by the Treaty.  

Improving the interoperability of existing schemes in the Member States being put in place by 
the  civil  society  or  public  authorities  is  the  option  preferred  by  the  Commission.  A 
Recommendation  of  Council  based  on  Treaty  Article  149  (4)  would  send  a  strong  political 
message while respecting the subsidiarity principle and diversity of situations in the Member 
States.  In  this  option,  EVS  would  continue  as  a  stimulating  programme  of  cross-border 
volunteering and as a laboratory for testing quality, recognition and support improvements.  

Value added of the proposal 

The proposed Recommendation does not aim at replacing national schemes. On the contrary, 
the  principles  and  the  lines  of  action  proposed  in  the  Recommendation  aim  at  enabling 
Member  States  to  strengthen  their  own  national  systems  through  the  exchange  of  good 
practices  and  to  provide  a  platform  on  the  basis  of  which  the  Member  States  could  better 
develop bilateral or multilateral agreements and partnerships. 

2. 

LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION 

Summary of the proposed action 

The proposed Recommendation encourages the Member States to improve the interoperability 
of  national  youth  volunteering  schemes  in  order  to  make  it  easier  for  a  volunteer  from  one 
country to participate in the volunteering schemes of another.  

Member  States  are  asked  to  make  progress  in  the  following  areas:  gathering  knowledge  on 
information  about  available 
existing  schemes  within 

territories;  disseminating 

their 

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opportunities;  increasing  cross-border  volunteering  opportunities  under  different  national 
schemes;  providing  a  reasonable  level  of  quality  assurance  for  young  volunteers;  ensuring 
appropriate  recognition  of  the  learning  outcomes  of  youth  volunteering;  and  providing 
targeted support to both socio-educational instructors specialised in youth (commonly called 
'youth workers') and young people with fewer opportunities. 

The Commission will also have a role in enhancing access to volunteering opportunities via 
the  further  development  of  a  European  Young  Volunteers'  Portal  (as  a  part  of  the  existing 
Youth  Portal)  and  through  instruments  aimed  at  favouring  the  recognition  of  skills  and 
competences such as European Qualification Framework, Europass and Youthpass.  

Legal basis 

Article 149 of the Treaty provides the legal basis.  

Subsidiarity principle 

The proposal complies with the subsidiarity principle as the objectives of the proposal cannot 
be  sufficiently  achieved  by  the  Member  States  and  can  therefore,  by  reason  of  scale  and 
effects  of  this  Recommendation,  be  better  achieved  at  Community  level.  Improving  the 
transnational  dimension  of  youth  volunteering  is  a  difficult  task  for  any  national  voluntary 
scheme. Given its knowledge of the problem and needs common to all Member States, the EU 
is best placed to provide a set of recommendations for better interoperability between national 
systems. 

Proportionality principle 

The proposal complies with the proportionality principle because it does not replace or define 
national volunteering schemes. It does not harmonise these and it leaves the implementation 
of  the  recommendation  to  the  Member  States.  It  also  respects  the  diversity  of  the  forms  of 
youth volunteering in Europe. 

Choice of instruments 

Recommendation of the Council 

3. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

The proposal has no implications for the Community budget.

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Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

on mobility of young volunteers across Europe 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 
149(4) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission8, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Voluntary activities constitute a rich non-formal learning experience which enhances 
young people's professional skills and competences, contributes to their employability 
and  sense  of  solidarity,  develops  social  skills  and  smoothes  integration  into  society, 
and fosters active citizenship.  

Trans-national mobility in Europe is highly beneficial to all as it is an essential tool for 
promoting education, employment and regional and social cohesion, and for helping to 
improve mutual understanding and active participation in society. This is particularly 
the  case  for  young  people  in  a  labour  market  which  increasingly  values  adaptability 
and flexibility. 

Recommendation  2001/613/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on 
mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, 
teachers and trainers9 and Recommendation 2006/961/EC of the European Parliament 
and  of  the  Council  of  18  December  2006  on  transnational  mobility  within  the 
Community  for  education  and  training  purposes:  European  Quality  Charter  for 
Mobility10 refer to volunteers. 

(4)  Mobility for young volunteers is part of the freedom of movement of people protected 

by Article 18 of the EC Treaty. 

(5) 

(6) 

Local communities hosting young volunteers benefit greatly from their activities, that 
can take place in a wide array of fields, such as promoting social inclusion, preserving 
cultural heritage, fostering intergenerational solidarity and protecting the environment, 
while at the same time enriching the cultural diversity of the hosting communities; 

The  European  Parliament  adopted  in  April  2008  the  report  on  the  "Role  of 
Volunteering in Contributing to Economic and Social Cohesion"11 which encourages 
Member  States  and  regional  and  local  authorities  to  recognise  the  value  of 
volunteering  in  promoting  social  and  economic  cohesion,  and  recommends  the 
promotion of cross-border voluntary projects. 

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OJ C , , p. . 
OJ L 215, 9.8.2001, p. 30. 
OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 5. 
REGI/6/50546, 2007/2149, of 21 April 2008 

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(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

There  exists  a  large  variety  of  voluntary  activities  throughout  Europe  organised  by 
civil society or public authorities and these activities should be preserved, developed 
further and made interoperable. 

Regulation  (EEC)  No  1408/71  of  the  Council  of  14  June  1971  on  the  application  of 
social  security  schemes  to  employed  persons  and  their  families  moving  within  the 
Community12  and  related  provisions  only  cover  those  volunteers  who  are  insured 
under  national  security  legislation,  with  the  consequence  that  issues  related  to  social 
protection  can  sometimes  act  as  a  disincentive  to  engage  in  voluntary  activities  in 
another Member State. 

Recommendation  N°  2001/613/EC  invited  the  Member  States  to  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. 

(10)  Resolution  of  15  November  2004  of  the  Council  and  the  Representatives  of  the 
Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on common objectives 
for voluntary activities of young people and Resolution of 19 November 2007 of the 
Council  and  the  Representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the  Member  States,  meeting 
within the Council, on implementing the common objectives for voluntary activities of 
young people respectively set out common objectives for voluntary activities of young 
people  and  proposed  exchanges  of  good  practice  and  peer-learning  activities  to 
strengthen  their  implementation,  and  invited  Member  States  to  consider  practical 
means  of  measuring  progress.  The  latter  Resolution  also  invited  the  Commission  to 
make  further  proposals  for  the  promotion  and  recognition  of  voluntary  activities  of 
young people.  

(11)  Voluntary  activities  have  been  a  priority  of  the  open  method  of  coordination  in  the 
field of youth, which has already identified a great number of good practices. In this 
context the European Voluntary Service (EVS), an action of the EU Youth Programme 
since  1996,  has  allowed  young  people  to  engage  in  voluntary  service  in  a  variety  of 
areas. The current Youth in Action Programme reinforces this action. 

(12)  Council Directive 2004/114/EC of 13 December 2004 on the conditions of admission 
of third-country nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated 
training  or  voluntary  service13  provides  the  possibility  of  granting  special  residence 
permits issued to third-country nationals who apply to be admitted to the territory of a 
Member State for the purpose of volunteering. 

(13)  Despite  these  efforts,  there  are  still  obstacles  to  the  cross-border  mobility  of  young 
volunteers  across  Europe  and  this  Recommendation  therefore  aims  primarily  at 
providing  a  framework  for  Member  States  to  intensify  their  cooperation,  without 
prejudice to the diversity of their national schemes. 

(14) 

In the framework of this Recommendation, cross-border volunteering activities should 
be  defined  as  a  voluntary  engagement  in  which  the  young  volunteer  takes  part  in  a 
non-profit  making  unpaid  activity  to  the  benefit  of  the  general  public  in  a  country 
other  than  his  or  her  country  of  residence.  Such  an  activity  is  characterised  by  the 
following aspects: open to all, young people under 30 years of age, undertaken by own 

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13 

OJ L 149, 5.7.1971, p. 2. 
OJ L 375, 23.12.2004, p. 12. 

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free  will,  fixed  period,  with  clear  objectives,  structure  and  framework,  unpaid  but 
pocket money and coverage of expenses.  

(15)  Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  young  people  with  fewer  opportunities  as 
volunteering constitutes a particularly valuable possibility of mobility for those young 
people  who  otherwise  would  benefit  less,  or  not  at  all,  of  mobility  schemes.  These 
young  people  have  specific  training  and  mentoring  needs  that  should  be  taken  into 
account.  Support  to  the  training  and  mobility  of  socio-educational  instructors 
specialised in youth and youth leaders will be very useful in this context. 

(16)  Better  interoperability  of  national  schemes  and  more  information  sharing  may 
stimulate  all  young  Europeans  whatever  their  nationality  to  engage  more  in 
volunteering in third countries.  

(17)  Since  the  objectives  of  this  Recommendation  cannot  be  sufficiently  achieved  by  the 
Member  States  and  can  therefore,  by  reason  of  scale  and  effects  of  this 
Recommendation, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt 
measures in order to promote mobility of young volunteers through interoperability of 
national schemes, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 
5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that 
article, the present Recommendation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to 
achieve those objectives.  

HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT THE MEMBER STATES: 

A 

Promote  the  mobility  of  young  volunteers  across  Europe  by  enhancing  the 
interoperability  of  national  schemes  for  volunteering  whether  organised  by  civil 
society or public authorities, so that every young person shall have the opportunity to 
volunteer in Europe if she or he wishes to do so. 

B 

Develop to that purpose the following lines of action: 

(1) 

improve the level of knowledge of volunteering schemes within their national 
territories and transfer this information to the European Commission for further 
dissemination;  

(2)  make information about opportunities for volunteering abroad easily accessible 
to  young  people,  socio-educational  instructors  specialised  in  youth  and  youth 
leaders;  

(3)  disseminate information to all those concerned (public authorities, civil society 
organisations, prospective employers and young people including third country 
nationals  who  are  legally  resident  in  the  EU)  of  the  rights  and  opportunities 
that  arise  from  existing  provisions  at  European  and  national  level  on  trans-
national volunteering; 

(4) 

share  the  information  on  opportunities  for  volunteering  with  other  Member 
States and simplify as far as possible the application process in order to make it 
easier  for  young  volunteers  of  a  Member  State  to  access  and  apply  to  the 
national schemes of other Member States; 

(5)  develop opportunities for trans-national European volunteering according to a 
flexible  approach;  develop  support  to  the  hosting  capacity  for  trans-European 
volunteers  in  the  country  wherever  needed;  create  contact  points  for  young 
European  volunteers  according  to  a  'one-stop  shop'  approach,  in  connection, 
where appropriate, with National Agencies of the Youth in Action Programme; 

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and  promote  the  use  of  existing  European  mechanisms  that  can  help  youth 
mobility such as mobility cards; 

(6) 

reduce  linguistic  barriers  to  the  cross-border  mobility  of  young  volunteers  by 
encouraging language learning by volunteers; 

(7)  develop  basic  quality  standards  in  order  to  promote  a  reasonable  level  of 
quality assurance to reassure and protect volunteers going cross-border and to 
build  confidence  and  encourage  participation  in  cross-border  schemes;  these 
could relate to the level of training of volunteers and staff, activity preparation, 
mentoring, tracking and follow-up;  

(8)  disseminate  information  about  such  quality  standards  to  hosting  and  sending 
organisations,  as  well  as  to  volunteers,  and  ensure  the  respect  of  those 
standards by the organisations; 

(9) 

examine  further  relevant  social  protection  provisions  with  a  view  to  making 
full use of the possibilities under EU and national legislation, and examine, in 
particular,  the  remaining  situations  where  volunteers  are  not  adequately 
covered; 

(10)  take  measures  in  order  to  ensure  the  appropriate  recognition  of  learning 
outcomes of youth volunteering, within the respective national frameworks for 
qualifications and in line with Community provisions, where existing; 

(11)  promote  the  use  of  instruments  at  EU  level  that  can  facilitate  cross-border 
volunteering by ensuring the transparency of qualifications, such as Europass, 
and  give  appropriate  recognition  of  the  skills  and  competences  acquired 
through  volunteering,  preferably  in  a  comparable,  certified  form  based  on 
Youthpass or equivalent;  

(12)  reinforce 

the 

trans-European  mobility  of  socio-educational 

instructors 

specialised in youth and youth leaders active in cross-border volunteering; 

(13)  develop information and training of socio-educational instructors specialised in 
youth and youth leaders in organisations, local authorities, civic services about 
trans-European volunteering of young people; 

(14)  give particular attention and provide tailored approaches to young people with 
fewer opportunities in order to enhance their access to voluntary activities and 
especially  to  trans-European  types  of  volunteering,  and  take  the  specific 
training and support needs of these young people into account; 

HEREBY ENDORSES THE COMMISSION'S INTENTION TO 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

support  the  Member  States  in  the  above  tasks  by  using  the  EU  cooperation 
framework  in  the  field  of  youth  and  in  particular  the  open  method  of  coordination 
and the Youth in Action programme; 

encourage  and  organise,  in  liaison  with  Member  States,  a  systematic  exchange  of 
information  and  experiences  about  the  interoperability  of  national  volunteering 
schemes organised by civil society or public authorities;  

develop a European Youth Volunteer Portal on volunteering based on national youth 
volunteering portals, databases or specific websites. 

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(4) 

report  to  the  Council  four  years  after  the  adoption  of  this  Recommendation  to 
determine whether the measures proposed are working effectively and to assess the 
need for further actions. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 

The President  

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