COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Communication on EU Policies and Volunteering: Recognising and Promoting Cross-border Voluntary Activities in the EU
Date: 2011-09-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, European citizenship, European cultural event, corporate social responsibility, international voluntary worker, non-formal education, sport, voluntary organisation, voluntary work, youth movement

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 20.9.2011 
COM(2011) 568 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Communication on EU Policies and Volunteering: Recognising and Promoting Cross-
border Voluntary Activities in the EU 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Volunteering  is  a  creator  of  human  and  social  capital.  It  is  a  pathway  to  integration  and 
employment  and  a  key  factor  for  improving  social  cohesion.  Above  all,  volunteering 
translates the fundamental values of justice, solidarity, inclusion and citizenship upon which 
Europe is founded into action. Volunteers help shape European society, and volunteers who 
work outside of their home countries are actively helping to build a Citizens' Europe.1 Indeed, 
volunteering activities are implicitly linked with many European Union policy areas – such as 
lifelong  learning,  rural  development  and  sport  –  where  they  add  a  valuable  dimension  to 
European Union programmes. 

For all these reasons and more, the year 2011 has been designated as the European Year of 
Voluntary Activities promoting Active Citizenship.2 The European Year gives the European 
Commission  the  opportunity  to  take  stock  of  volunteering  in  the  European  Union  and  its 
contribution to society. It also allows the Commission to evaluate what the European Union 
and  Member  States  can  do  to  facilitate  and  promote  volunteering,  notably  in  cross-border 
situations. 

Following  this  Communication,  and  before  the  end  of  2012,  a  report  assessing  the  Year’s 
outcomes will be submitted to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic 
and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. 

1.1. 

Definition and data situation 

When it comes to volunteering, each country has different notions, definitions and traditions. 
Volunteering  is  defined  as  all  forms  of  voluntary  activity,  whether  formal  or  informal. 
Volunteers act under their own free will, according to their own choices and motivations and 
do not seek financial gain. Volunteering is a journey of solidarity and a way for individuals 
and associations to identify and address human, social or environmental needs and concerns. 
Volunteering is often carried out in support of a non-profit organisation or community-based 
initiative.3 

A  Commission-initiated  study  estimated  that  in  2010  some  100  million  Europeans  are 
engaged  in  voluntary  activities.  Behind  this  overall  figure,  peoples’  participation  in 
volunteering varies widely across the EU.4 

In  many  EU  Member  States,  adults  aged  between  30  and  50  years  are  the  most  active  in 
volunteering,  although  the  number  of  younger  and  older  volunteers  is  increasing  across  the 
EU. 

Volunteering takes place in many sectors. The biggest area for volunteering is sport, followed 
by  social  care,  welfare  and  health.  Other  sectors  include  justice,  culture,  education,  youth, 

1 

2 

3 
4 

EU Citizenship Report 2010 – Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizen's rights, COM (2010) 603 final 
of 27 October 2010. 
Council  Decision  No  37/2010/EC  on  the  European  Year  of  Voluntary  Activities  Promoting  Active 
Citizenship (2011) of 27 November 2009, OJ L 17, 22.1.2010, p. 43–49. 
Ibid. 
"Volunteering in the European Union" (GHK 2010). 

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environment and climate action, consumer protection, humanitarian aid, development policy 
and equal opportunities. 

Volunteering also has a great impact beyond national borders. Cross-border volunteering has 
great  potential  for  education,  employment  and  citizenship.  It  can  also  improve  mutual 
understanding and contribute to the development of a stronger European identity. 

1.2. 

Challenges for volunteering 

On the basis of a study of eight industrialised countries by the Johns Hopkins University5 and 
the experience of the European Year 2011 so far, we have identified the potential obstacles to 
volunteering, in particular across borders, as the following: 

• 

• 

• 

Lack of a clear legal framework: Almost one in five Member States does not 
have a clear legal framework and clear rules for volunteers and volunteering. 

Lack  of  national  strategies  for  promoting  voluntary  activities:  National 
volunteering  strategies  need  to  be  created  to  cover  the  following  aspects: 
training,  holiday  benefits,  social  security,  entitlement  to  unemployment 
for  cross-border  volunteering  activities,  accommodation  and 
benefits 
reimbursements of out-of-pocket expenses. 

Financial  constraints:  Volunteering,  while  freely  given,  is  not  cost  free. 
Organisations  based  on  voluntary  activity  often  face  a  lack  of  sustainable 
funding, and competition for available funds is fierce. 

•  Mismatch  between  supply  and  demand:  The 

to 
professionalise the volunteering sector causes a certain mismatch between the 
needs  of  volunteering  organisations  and  the  aspirations  of  new  volunteers. 
Volunteers  are  available  for  short-term  projects  while  organisations  need 
people to make long-term commitments. 

increasing 

trend 

• 

• 

• 

Lack of recognition: Skills that are gained through volunteering activities are 
not always sufficiently recognised or given credit. 

Tax  obstacles:  Member  States  apply  different  tax  treatments  to  volunteers' 
income/allowances and to the reimbursement of the expenses sustained during 
their  service.  Consequently,  volunteers  may  encounter  tax  obstacles  when 
operating across borders. 

Insufficient  data:  Better  comparable  data  on  volunteering  in  the  Member 
States can help identify best practices and improve policy making. 

Member  States  made  some  progress  on  these  issues  in  2006  when  they  committed  to 
cooperating  on  overcoming  obstacles  that  directly  or  indirectly  impede  the  mobility  of  EU 

5 

"Volunteering in the European Union" (GHK 2010). 

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citizens for learning or professional development purposes, including volunteering.6 But there 
is  still  a  lot  of  work  to  do.  Particular  attention  needs  to  be  paid  to  the  promotion  of  an 
environment  for  volunteering  activities  providing  equal  opportunities  with  regard  to  the 
access and participation of all individuals. 

1.3. 

The added value of volunteering 

Volunteering  contributes  to  the  Europe  2020  growth  strategy,7  in  particular  to  the  EU’s 
employment  rate  target  of  75%  by  2020,  by  helping  people  learn  new  skills  and  adapt  to 
changes  in  the  labour  market.  The  above  mentioned  Johns  Hopkins  University  study  found 
that  the  voluntary  sector  can  contribute  up  to  5%  of  Gross  Domestic  Product.8  This  can  be 
very important during times of economic difficulty and austerity. Solidarity is also increased 
through volunteering, when people learn how to adapt to technological change, globalisation 
and the ageing population. 

Volunteering  directly  contributes  to  key  objectives  of  EU  policies  such  as  social  inclusion, 
employment, education, skills development and citizenship. Its positive effects are confirmed 
by  new  indicators  that  measure  social  cohesion  or  the  happiness,  connectedness,  activeness 
and well-being of volunteers.9 This applies also to volunteering in knowledge-intensive areas, 
such as education and research, including in international cooperation. 

The European Union's involvement in volunteering issues brings tangible benefits. These are 
most obvious in the promotion of cross-border volunteering and the mobility of volunteers in 
the  European  Union.  More  generally,  the  European  Union  can  be  a  catalyst  for  policy 
development  in  volunteering  in  the  years  to  come,  which,  in  line  with  the  subsidiarity 
principle,  would  take  place  at  Member  State  level  in  the  light  of  national  priorities  and  the 
overall strategic objectives of the European Union for the decade ahead. 

The  following  chapter  outlines  the  ways  in  which  the  Commission  currently  supports  the 
volunteering sector and how it plans to address the issues raised in the future. 

2. 

EUROPEAN POLICIES AND VOLUNTEERING 

2.1. 

EU funding opportunities for volunteering 

institutions  have 

The  European 
the  significance  of  voluntary 
organisations  in  making  it  possible  for  people  to  give  something  back  to  their  communities 
and  in  providing  opportunities  for  citizen  participation  in  a  broader  European  context.  As 
such,  the  EU  currently  offers  funding  opportunities  for  volunteers  and  voluntary  activities 
within the following programmes: 

long  acknowledged 

6 

7 

8 
9 

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  Charter  of  Mobility, 
Doc. 2006/961/EC. 
Communication  from  the  Commission.  Europe  2020:  A  strategy  for  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive 
growth, COM (2010) 2020 final of 3 March 2010. 
"Measuring Civil Society and Volunteering" (Johns Hopkins University 2007. 
Cf. S. Hossenfelder, On the problem of measuring happiness, (February 3, 2011). Available at SSRN: 
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1754423  who  refers  also  to  the  research  of  the  International  Commission  on 
the measurement of economic performance and social progress established by the French President in 
2008  and  the  recent  approach  of  the  British  Office  for  National  Statistics  to  measure  people's  well 
being. 

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Within  the  "Youth  in  Action"  programme,10  the  European  Voluntary  Service  (EVS)  offers 
young people between the ages of 18 and 30 the opportunity to carry out voluntary work, for 
up to 12 months, outside their home country. Beyond benefiting local communities, the EVS 
offers  volunteers  the  opportunity  to  acquire  new  skills,  learn  languages  and  discover  other 
cultures. 

The  European  Voluntary  Service  gave  Costica,  27,  a  visually  impaired  Romanian,  the 
opportunity  to  spend  four  and  half  months  as  a  volunteer  at  the  IRHOV  school  for  visually 
impaired  children  in  Liège,  Belgium.  Costica  ran  computer,  sports  and  cultural  workshops 
for  children  and  was  able  to  develop  personal,  social  and  professional  skills  through  the 
experience. At the same time, Costica provided important support to the hosting community 
by  being  a  role-model  for  visually-impaired  children,  and  acting  as  an  inspiration  for  their 
parents and the school staff. In this respect, volunteering with EVS is a way of being active in 
society  and  expressing  solidarity  among  young  Europeans,  while  enhancing  one's 
employability. 

The  EU's  Europe  for  Citizens  programme11  supports  a  wide  range  of  activities  and 
organisations  promoting  European  citizenship,  such  as  through  town-twinning  projects. 
Particular attention is paid within this programme to the promotion of volunteering. Indeed, 
volunteering has been set as a programme priority for 2011. 

The  "Charter  of  European  Rural  communities"  (CERC)  funded  by  the  Europe  for  Citizens 
programme  is  a  co-operation  between  27  small  rural  communities,  one  from  each  EU 
Member  State.  CERC's  activities  are  geared  towards  creating  opportunities  to  "meet  each 
other  at  the  kitchen  table,’’  giving  European  citizens  the  possibility  to  interact  at  a  cross-
border,  people-to-people  level,  while  exploring  themes  and  cooperating  in  areas  such  as 
participation in local democracy, the role of young people in local democracy and the well-
being of senior citizens. The activities rely heavily on the support of volunteers helping with 
the  organisation  of  CERC  events  and  finding  accommodation  for  invited  guests  in  the  host 
location. 

The Lifelong Learning Programme12 includes the Grundtvig programme which promotes the 
participation of European citizens in volunteering projects in a European country other than 
their own, allowing them to learn and share their knowledge and experience across borders. 

The  Manchester  Museum  and  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  of  Budapest  developed  a  Grundtvig 
Senior Volunteer Project focusing on the inclusion of people aged 50 years and over. At the 
core  of  the  project  was  an  exchange  programme,  where  six  volunteers  from  both  museums 
took  part  in  crossover  visits  to  each  museum  and  had  the  opportunity  to  volunteer  in  a 
different  country.  This  project  has  created  a  platform  to  share  best  practices  amongst 
museums working with volunteers in different European countries.  

In  addition  to  the  programmes  targeting  volunteers  and  voluntary  activities  directly,  the  EU 
offers  a  wide  range  of  funding  programmes  accessible  to  volunteers  in  the  fields  of  food 

10 

11 

12 

Decision No 1719/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006, OJ L 
327, 24.11.2006, p. 30–44. 
Decision No 1904/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006, OJ L 
378, 27.12.2006, p. 32–40. 
Decision No. 1720/2006/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of November 15 2006, OJ L 327 of 
24.11.2006, p.45. 

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distribution,  social  exclusion  and  discrimination,  gender  equality,  drugs  prevention,  helping 
victims  of  crime,13  public  health,  consumer  protection  and  the  environment  and  climate 
action. 

The  Commission  is  committed  to  raising  awareness  amongst  EU  Citizens  and 
stakeholders  about  different  funding  programmes  that  can  be  used  by  volunteers  and 
for voluntary activities. This will ensure that funding opportunities for the volunteering 
sector are fully exploited. 

2.2. 

The societal dimension of volunteering 

2.2.1.  Volunteering as an expression of European citizenship 

Volunteering is closely linked to the Commission's general political objectives of reinforcing 
Union citizenship and putting citizens at the heart of EU policy-making.14 Volunteering can 
complement citizens' entitlements to rights and promote their active participation in society. 
This is particularly the case for cross-border volunteering, which has the potential for inter-
cultural learning and the development of a European identity. 

In  addition,  volunteering  is  an  element  of  social  innovation  that  can  mobilise  people's 
creativity to develop solutions and make better use of scarce resources.15 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  support  the  volunteering  sector  through  its  funding 
programmes and through EU cohesion policy programmes in various policy areas. 

It will follow up on initiatives promoting cross-border volunteering in the context of the 
2013 European Year of Citizens. 

2.2.2.  Volunteers hold society together 

Volunteering  fosters  social  cohesion  and  social  inclusion.  Volunteering  implies  sharing  and 
helping  others,  and  in  this  way  develops  solidarity.  Voluntary  activities  increase  peoples’ 
tolerance towards disadvantaged groups in society and help reduce racism and prejudice. 

Volunteering  has  also  been  recognised  as  a  way  of  offering  new  learning  opportunities  to 
senior citizens and people with disabilities while giving them the possibility to help shape our 
societies.  At  the  same  time,  voluntary  activities  can  improve  understanding  between 
generations when the young and old work together and support each other. 

At  the  individual  level,  volunteering  can  be  a  means  for  citizens  to  acquire  social  skills,  to 
play a useful role and to connect or re-connect with society. At the societal level, it can be a 
tool for the empowerment of people, especially for disadvantaged groups in society. 

13 

14 
15 

Over 20,000 volunteers work for victim support organisations in Europe (Strengthening victim's rights 
in the EU, COM(2011) 274 final of 18.05.2011, p. 5). 
"Political Guidelines for the next Commission (2009-2014)" (2009). 
"Empowering  people,  driving  change:  Social  innovation  in  the  European  Union"  (BEPA  2010). 
Supported by the 7th Research Framework Programme the European Commission intends to support the 
set up of a 'Social Platform' for innovative social services that will also address the role of volunteering 
in the service sector. 

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Equally,  environmental  volunteering  plays  a  major  role  in  protecting  and  improving  the 
environment for present and future generations while at the same time increasing awareness 
of  environmental  issues  and  the  likelihood  of  carrying  out  environmentally  friendly 
practices.16  For  instance,  in  the  UK,  the  British  Trust  for  Conservation  Volunteers  (BTCV) 
works  with  over  300,000  volunteers  each  year  and  in  Slovakia,  environmental  volunteering 
accounts for 13.3% of the total share of volunteering.17 

In order to raise awareness and tackle the problem of marine litter in our seas and oceans, the 
international  Surfrider  Foundation  organises  the  annual  "Ocean  Initiatives:  the  largest  eco-
citizens' rally in Europe", involving 40,000 volunteers spread across more than 1,000 clean-up 
activities of beaches, lakes, rivers and the ocean-floor in Europe and the rest of the world.18 

The Commission may introduce proposals that specifically cater for volunteering in the 
EU's  employment  strategy,  in  its  fight  against  poverty  and  social  exclusion  and  in  the 
context of the Commission's "New Skills for New Jobs" initiative. 

2.2.3.  Education and volunteering 

Voluntary  activities  can  form  either  structured  learning  activities  (so-called  non-formal 
learning)  in  which  the  volunteer  intentionally  participates  or  unintentional  and  unstructured 
learning  (so-called  informal  learning).  In  both  cases,  volunteers’  learning  usually  is  not 
certified. Recognising volunteering as a form of learning is therefore a priority of EU action 
in education and training. Based on common principles adopted by the Council in 200419, the 
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Cedefop, published 'European 
guidelines on the validation of non-formal and informal learning', which provide a tool for the 
development of certification practices that also take account of the voluntary sector. 

Mobility  for  learning  purposes  is  a  way  in  which  citizens  exercise  their  right  of  free 
movement within the EU. Cross-border volunteering is an example of such learning mobility. 

The  Commission  is  working  on  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  the 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  that  includes  the  volunteering 
dimension. 

On  a  practical 
level,  voluntary  work  experience  and  skills  acquired  through 
volunteering  can be displayed in the Europass documents20 and will  be integrated into 
the future 'European Skills Passport'. 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

Volunteering and environment: 
http://community.cev.be/download/130/434/Fact_sheet_DG_ENV_environment.pdf 
CSVnet – National Coordination Body of Voluntary Support Centres, 2009. ‘Brief compendium of the 
research: Volunteering across Europe. Organisations, promotion, participation’, p. 17. 
Initiatives océanes press kit 2011: http://www.surfrider.eu/fileadmin/documents/io11/dp/20110228_DP-
IO2011_EN.pdf 
Conclusions  of  the  Council  and  of  the  representatives  of  the  Governments  of  the  Member  States 
meeting  within  the  Council  on  Common  European  Principles  for  the  identification  and  validation  of 
non-formal and informal learning (May 2004). 
Decision  2241/2004/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  a  single  Community 
framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass), OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, p. 
6–20. 

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2.2.4.  Youth and volunteering 

The active participation of young people in society can be fostered through volunteering. If 
young  people  are  well  informed  about  volunteering  and  have  positive  experiences  when 
volunteering, they are likely to continue to be active volunteers throughout their life, inspiring 
other young people to volunteer in their wake. 

The  Commission  has  chosen  voluntary  activities  for  youths  as  one  of  the  priorities  of  the 
youth policy cooperation process that was launched in 2001, as well as the subsequent Open 
Method of Coordination on youth. Within the new EU Strategy for Youth, volunteering has 
been recognised as one of the key policy areas affecting Europe's young people.21 

The  Council  Recommendation  on  the  Mobility  of  Young  Volunteers  seeks  to  boost 
cooperation  between  organisers  of  voluntary  activities  in  the  EU  Member  States.  It  invites 
civil society organisations and public authorities to develop voluntary activities and to open 
up these activities to young people from other EU countries.22 

Youth volunteering supports the 'Youth on the Move' flagship initiative23 of the Europe 2020 
Strategy,  putting  young  people  at  the  centre  of  the  EU's  vision  of  an  economy  based  on 
knowledge,  innovation,  high  levels  of  education  and  skills,  inclusive  labour  markets  and 
active involvement in society. 

In  2012,  Member  States  will  report  back  to  the  Commission  on  the  implementation  of 
the EU Youth Strategy and the Recommendation on the Mobility of Young Volunteers 
across  the  EU.  On  this  basis,  the  Commission  will  make  proposals  for  further 
development. 

2.2.5. 

Sport and volunteering 

Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union calls on the EU to take 
account of structures based on voluntary activities when promoting European sport. 

In 2002, Member States recognised the significant contribution of voluntary activity to sport 
and  its  economic  value  in  the  “Aarhus  Declaration  on  Voluntary  Work  in  Sport”. 
Volunteering was also one of the key issues in the Commission's 2007 White Paper on Sport 
which  found  that  voluntary  activities  in  the  sport  sector  strengthen  social  cohesion  and 
inclusion,  promote  local  democracy  and  citizenship  and  provide  occasions  for  non-formal 
education.24 In May 2011, the Council identified volunteering in sport as one of the priority 
themes for EU-level cooperation in its Resolution on an EU work plan for sport. 

The sport sector is able to mobilise more volunteers than any other sector. In most Member 
States,  the  sport  movement  would  not  exist  without  volunteering.  However,  differences 
among  Member  States  are  very  large,  with  some  having  very  low  levels  of  sports 

21 

22 

23 

24 

An EU Strategy for Youth – Investing and Empowering - A renewed open method of coordination to 
address youth challenges and opportunities, COM(2009) 200 final of 27.04.2009. 
Council  Recommendation  on  the  Mobility  of  Young  Volunteers  across  the  European  Union,  2008/C 
319/03 of 13.12.2008. 
Youth on the Move – an initiative to unleash the potential of young people to achieve smart, sustainable 
and inclusive growth in the European Union, COM (2010) 477 final of 15.09.2010. 
White Paper on Sport, COM(2007) 391 final of 11.07.2007. 

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volunteering.25 Member States with a high level of volunteering in sport tend to have a strong 
volunteering culture and appropriate structures, but also support from public authorities.26 

Under the 2010 Preparatory Action in the field of sport, the Commission is funding four 
pilot projects on volunteering and sport. 

2.2.6.  Employee volunteering as an expression of corporate social responsibility 

As an expression of their Corporate Social Responsibility, both the private and public sector 
can  play  an  important  role  in  promoting  voluntary  activities.  By  investing  in  employee-
volunteering, they not only do "good" in the local community, but at the same time improve 
their  reputation  and  image,  help  create  a  team  spirit,  improve  job  satisfaction,  and  raise 
productivity while allowing employees or officials to develop new skills. 

In 2011 the Commission launched initiatives that seek to promote volunteering amongst 
its staff. These include intranet web resources for staff with information on volunteering 
opportunities,  good  practices  and  practical  guidelines  for  staff  wishing  to  engage  in 
voluntary activities.27 

2.2.7.  The EU's relations with third countries and volunteering 

2.2.7.1.  Promoting the mobility of third country volunteers in the EU 

The  mutual  benefits  of  volunteering  which  stem  from  the  migration  of  third  country 
volunteers  to  the  EU  should  also  be  recognised.  In  this  context,  Council  Directive 
2004/114/EC28 creates a reference framework for common minimum conditions of entry and 
residence of third country volunteers which does not depend on the labour-market situation in 
the host country. The implementation of these provisions is optional for the Member States. 

In  2011,  the  Commission  will  publish  a  report  on  the  application  of  Council  Directive 
2004/114/EC and, if appropriate, may consider proposing amendments. 

2.2.7.2.  Humanitarian aid and volunteering 

The area where Europeans consider that volunteers play the most important role is in the field 
of  solidarity  and  humanitarian  aid  work,  and  the  European  Commission  is  committed  to 
taking  European  citizens'  opinions  seriously:  based  on  Article  214  of  the  Treaty  on  the 
Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  the  Commission  is  preparing  to  set  up  a  European 

25 
26 

27 

28 

"Volunteering in the European Union" (GHK 2010), p. 216. 
"Volunteering in the European Union" (GHK 2010), pp. 214-215 which is referring also to the income 
for sports organisations. 
See  http://myintracomm.ec.europa.eu/serv/en/Volunteering/.  Worthwhile  is  also  mentioning  that 
Commission staff organises and manages charity initiatives like the Schuman Trophy, the "Shoebox for 
the homeless" campaign, the cancer support group, EU delegation of ATD Quart Monde or the recently 
created association GIVE EUR-HOPE. 
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; O.J. 
L 375 of 23.12.2004, p. 12. 

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Voluntary  Humanitarian  Aid  Corps  which  will  serve  as  a  framework  for  joint  contributions 
from European volunteers to the humanitarian aid operations of the European Union.29 

This  new  body  will  provide  an  opportunity  for  volunteers  from  different  Member  States  to 
work together on a common project on EU humanitarian aid as a tangible expression of their 
solidarity  with  people  in  need.  It  is  also  expected  to  help  create  new  opportunities  for  the 
participation  of  European  citizens,  especially  amongst  the  young.  The  deployment  of 
European  volunteers  is  also  aimed  at  strengthening  local  capacities,  an  area  where 
volunteering  can  make  a  real  difference.  The  support  of  volunteers  in  disaster  preparedness 
and recovery activities will in particular contribute to laying the foundations for sustainable 
development  processes  linked  to  the  EU's  pre-  and  post-crises  operations  in  the  area  of 
humanitarian aid. 

In  2011,  the  Commission  is  funding  pilot  projects  aimed  at  selecting,  training  and 
deploying the first volunteers of the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps. The 
results  of  this  pilot  phase  and  the  outcome  of  the  reviews  and  consultations  and  the 
impact  assessment  drawing  on  years  of  experience  of  national  and  international 
organisations, will allow the Commission to adopt a proposal for a Regulation setting-up 
the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps in 2012. 

2.2.7.3.  Development policies and volunteering 

Volunteers  can  play  a  significant  role  in  development  cooperation,  either  as  individual 
volunteers or in the framework of activities pursued by civil society organisations. In general, 
voluntary work enhances the effectiveness of the endeavours pursued by these organisations 
and confirms their non-profit-making nature. 

The  Commission  does  not  directly  support  individual  volunteers,  but  does  so  indirectly  by 
using EU legal and financial instruments to support projects that act in favour of civil society 
organisations.  These  groups  are  increasingly  contributing  to  the  design  of  development 
policies  throughout  the  developing  world,  in  particular  by  sharing  more  responsibility 
regarding poverty reduction. Although the Commission relies to a considerable extent on civil 
society organisations in the implementation of overall EU development policy, ultimately it is 
up  to  these  organisations  themselves  to  decide  whether  or  not  to  resort  to  the  services  of 
volunteers rather than paid professional staff, either in Europe or across the world. 

3. 

CONCLUSIONS: THE WAY FORWARD 

Volunteering  is  part  of  our  social  fabric.  It  supports  fundamental  values  of  inclusion  and 
citizenship. That is why the European Commission is stressing the importance of volunteering 
during  the  European  Year  of  Volunteering  2011.  The  Commission  is  working  with  all 
relevant stakeholders to ensure a meaningful and lasting legacy for the European Year. 

The following conclusions will be complemented and further developed during the European 
Year: 

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How to express EU citizen's solidarity through volunteering: First reflections on a European Voluntary 
Humanitarian Aid Corps, COM(2010) 683 final of 23.11.2010. 

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• 

Volunteering  is  an  important  creator  of  human  and  social  capital,  a 
pathway  to  integration  and  employment  and  a  key  factor  for  improving 
social cohesion. It is a highly visible expression of European citizenship, 
as volunteers contribute to shaping society and helping people in need. 

Its  potential  can  be  further  developed  within  the  Europe  2020  Strategy 
for  growth.  Volunteers  are  an  important  resource  in  our  economy  and 
society,  but  must  not  be  considered  as  an  alternative  to  a  regular 
workforce. 

By  promoting  cross-border  volunteering  in  cooperation  with  Member 
States  and  through  EU  funding  programmes,  the  EU  contributes  to  the 
mobility  and  inter-cultural  learning  of  its  citizens  and  reinforces  their 
European identity. 

Policy recommendations to Member States 

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the Commission does not intend to promote 
one single model of volunteering or to harmonise volunteering cultures at local and regional 
level.  However,  the  Commission  recommends  that  Member  States  make  better  use  of  the 
potential of volunteering in the following ways: 

• 

• 

• 

In countries lacking a volunteering framework and where there is a weak 
tradition or culture of volunteering, setting legal frameworks could give 
incentives to support the development of volunteering. 

Research and data collection on volunteering should be encouraged at the 
national  level.  In  this  context,  the  use  of  the  International  Labour 
Organisation's  (ILO)  Manual  on  the  Measurement  of  Volunteer  Work 
and  the  United  Nations  Handbook  on  Non-Profit  organisations  is 
recommended. 

Recognition  of  the  competences  and  skills  gained  through  volunteering 
as non-formal learning experiences is essential as a motivating factor for 
the  volunteers  and  one  that  creates  bridges  between  volunteering  and 
education. 

•  Member  States  should  remove  remaining  obstacles  which  directly  or 
indirectly  impede  volunteering  in  general  and  in  particular  cross-border 
volunteering. 

•  Member  States  are  invited  to  open  national  volunteering  schemes  for 
the  development  of 

to  contribute 

to 

across-borders  volunteering 
volunteering in the European Union. 

Concrete actions to recognise and promote volunteering at EU level: 

The  EU  is  committed  to  ensuring  a  long-term  follow-up  to  the  2011  European  Year  of 
Volunteering  and  to  continuing  the  dialogue  with  the  relevant  stakeholders  in  the  different 
policy areas related to volunteering. 

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• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The  Commission  will  propose  the  creation  of  a  European  Voluntary 
Humanitarian Aid Corps in 2012. 

EU  funding  programmes  in  different  policy  areas  will  further  target 
volunteers and promote cross-border volunteering. 

The Commission will make it easier for EU citizens and stakeholders to 
get  an  overview  of  different  funding  programmes  that  can  be  used  by 
volunteers and for voluntary activities. 

The  Commission  is  willing  to  further  explore  possibilities  to  strengthen 
the  link  between  volunteering  and  health/welfare,  in  particular  with 
regard to the ageing society. 

On  the  basis  of  Member  States'  reports  on  the  implementation  of  the 
Recommendation  on  the  Mobility  of  Young  Volunteers  in  2012,  the 
Commission will make proposals for further development. 

The  Commission  may  introduce  proposals  that  specifically  cater  for 
volunteering in the EU's employment strategy, in its fight against poverty 
and social exclusion and in the context of the Commission's "New Skills 
for New Jobs" initiative. 

The Commission is preparing a proposal for a Council Recommendation 
on  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  including  the 
recognition of competences acquired through volunteering. 

The future 'European Skills Passport' will give individuals the possibility 
of  keeping  a  record  of  the  skills  and  competences  they  acquire  through 
volunteering. 

The  Commission  will  give  the  forthcoming  European  Year  of  Citizens 
(2013) an appropriate volunteering dimension, promoting notably cross-
border volunteering. 

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