REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Annual report on the implementation of the EU Aid Volunteers Initiative in 2015
Date: 2016-06-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, EU initiative, activity report, foreign aid, humanitarian aid, man-made disaster, natural disaster, non-governmental organisation, third country, voluntary organisation

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 30.6.2016  COM(2016) 436 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Annual report on the implementation of the EU Aid Volunteers Initiative in 2015  
 
 
I. Introduction 

As  envisaged  by  the  Treaty  of  Lisbon1,  the  European  Union  established  the  EU  Aid 
Volunteers  initiative  in  20142.  The  objective  is  to  contribute  to  strengthening  the  Union’s 
capacity  to  provide  needs-based  humanitarian  aid  and  to  strengthening  the  capacity  and 
resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities in third countries, while giving the 
European citizens an opportunity to show solidarity with people in need through taking part 
in humanitarian action in these countries.  

Article 27  of  Regulation  (EU)  No 375/2014  requires  the  Commission  to  submit  annual 
reports  to  the  European  Parliament  and  to  the  Council  examining  the  progress  made  in 
implementing the Regulation3. 

This annual report outlines the main activities and achievements in the implementation of the 
EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative  in  2015  which  was  a  very  important  year  for  the  initiative  to 
become operational mapping out the next steps in its implementation.  

II. Objectives and priorities  

The activities in 2015 are based on the Annual Work Programme for the implementation of 
the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative  in  2015  adopted  by  the  Commission4  in  accordance  with 
Article 21(3) of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 and Article 128 of the Financial Regulation. 
The budget for the implementation of the initiative in 2015 was set at EUR 13 868 000 for the 
purpose  of  building  capacities  of  hosting  organisations  in  third  countries  and  providing 
technical assistance for sending organisations based in the EU Member States; contributing to 
resilience  building  and  disaster  risk  management  in  vulnerable,  fragile  or  disaster  affected 
countries and forgotten crises; preparing the selection, training and deployment of volunteers 
and  the  public  launch  of  the  initiative,  establishment  of  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  Platform, 
launch  of  the  call  for  tender  for  the  selection  of  the  training  provider,  and  various 
communication activities. Activities funded under the Work Programme for 20145 such as the 
ongoing certification of sending and hosting organisations; the establishment of an insurance 
scheme  for  EU  Aid  volunteers  and  the  selection  of  projects  for  capacity  building  and 
technical assistance also took place in 2015 following the adoption of the delegated and the 
implementing acts mentioned above. 

1

  Article 214 (5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: "In order to establish a framework for joint contributions from 
young Europeans to the humanitarian aid operations of the Union, a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps shall be set up. The 
European  Parliament  and  the  Council,  acting  by  means  of  regulations  in  accordance  with  the  ordinary  legislative  procedure,  shall 
determine the rules and procedures for the operation of the Corps.". 

2   Regulation  (EU)  No 375/2014  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  3  April  2014  establishing  the  European  Voluntary 
Humanitarian  Aid  Corps  ("EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative")  (OJ  L  122,  24.4.2014,  p.  1).  Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1398/2014 of 24 October 2014 laying down standards regarding candidate volunteers and EU Aid Volunteers (OJ L 373, 31.12.2014, p. 
8).  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1244/2014  of  20  November  2014  laying  down  rules  for  the  implementation  of 
Regulation  (EU)  No  375/2014  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  3  April  2014  establishing  the  European  Voluntary 
Humanitarian Aid Corps ("EU Aid Volunteers initiative") (OJ L 334, 21.11.2014, p. 52). 

3   The  first  annual  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative  was  submitted  in  2014,  COM(2015)335  of 

13.07.2015. 

4  Commission  Implementing  Decision  C(2015)1548  of  12.3.2015  concerning  the  adoption  of  the  2015  work  programme  and  the 

financing for the implementation of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative. 

5   Commission  Implementing  Decision  C(2014)3872  of  16.6.2014  concerning  the  adoption  of  the  2014  work  programme  and  the 

financing for the implementation of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative. 

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III. Actions implemented in 2015 

1.  Certification 

All  organisations  wishing  to  send  or  host  volunteers  under  the  EUAV  initiative  must  be 
certified6.  The  certification  process  verifies  that  the  high  standards  and  procedures  of 
volunteer  management  set  to  protect  and  manage  volunteers  during their  deployment  under 
the  EUAV  initiative  can  be  fully  realised  and  met  by  all  participating  organisations.  The 
certification  process  in  2015  is  funded  under  the  Work  Programme  for  2014.  A  call  for 
applications  was  published  in  January  20157.  The  objective  is  to  compile  a  list  of  100 
certified sending and hosting organisations wishing to participate in the EU Aid Volunteers 
initiative.  37  applications  have  been  submitted,  13  sending  organisations  and  7  hosting 
organisations have been certified and no applications have been rejected by the end of 20158. 
The  remaining  17  applications  are  being  evaluated  in  2016.  Certification  is  an  on-going 
process and applications will be accepted until 30 September 2020.  

2.  Technical assistance/Capacity building 

The  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative  provides  opportunities  for  capacity  building  for  hosting 
organisations  and  technical  assistance  for  sending  organisations9.  The  objective  is  to 
strengthen the capacities of the organisations intending to participate in the initiative and to 
ensure compliance with the standards and procedures regarding candidate volunteers and EU 
Aid  Volunteers.  A  call  for  proposals  EACEA/03/2015  was  published  in  January  201510 
providing funding with a total budget of EUR 6 948 000 for the co-financing of projects for 
capacity building for hosting organisations and technical assistance for sending organisations 
in  different  areas  such  as  disaster  risk  management,  volunteer  management,  capacity  to 
undergo  certification,  tools  and  methods  of  needs  assessment,  building  partnerships, 
communication  activities.  The  call  had  two  rounds  (first  deadline  for  submission  of 
applications  was  1  April  2015  and  the  second  deadline  was  1  September  2015).  19 
applications  have  been  submitted  (7  for  technical  assistance  and  12  for  capacity  building). 
Ten projects were selected for co-funding with a EU grant of EUR 4 827 715.51: six projects 
under the first round (three for technical assistance and three for capacity building) for a total 
amount  of  EUR 2 864 574.39  and  four  projects  (one  for  technical  assistance  and  three  for 
capacity  building)  under  the  second  round  for  a  total  amount  of  EUR 1 963 141.12.  
22  organisations  under  technical  assistance  projects  and  66  organisations  under  capacity 
building  projects  are  involved  in  the  implementation  to  strengthen  their  management  and 

6   Article 10 of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014; Articles 32 and 33 of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1398/2014 
7   https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/eacea-site/files/certification-call-announcement-012115.pdf 

8https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/eu-aid-volunteers/selection-results/selection-results-certification-mechanism-for-sending-and-hosting 
organisations_en 

9   Article 10 and 15 of  Regulation (EU) No 375/2014  
10   OJ C 17, 20.1.2015, p. 10. 

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State of play Selection and Contracting phase - 31st December 2015ActionPlanned InterventionsCall ReferenceCall DeadlineNumber of Applications receivedNumber of inelegible ApplicationsNumber of rejected ProjectsNumber of selected Projects% selected Projects of eligible applications1st Award Decision madeTime to award (in months)Time to contract (in months)Sum TTA TTCTotal Actual GrantsCertification of sending and hosting organisations100N/A30/09/2020370020*N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/ADeployment of EU Aid Volunteers25EACEA/25/201530/10/20152002100%N/A**N/AN/AN/AN/A20EACEA/03//201501/04/20154103100%10/07/20153.572.305.871,327,753.3201/09/2015311150%01/12/20153.300.233.53196,889.4701/04/2015731375%10/07/20153.572.536.101,536,821.0701/09/20155203100%01/12/20153.300.303.601,766,251.65Total Grants (excl. Certification)45N/AN/A21721285.00%N/A3.441.344.784,827,715.51* the remaining 17 applications will be assessed in 2016     ** the award decision will be taken in 2016Technical AssistanceCapacity Building 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
operational systems, and to work in partnership to implement best practices in humanitarian 
aid delivery and volunteer management11. The projects are contributing largely to the process 
of partnership building with 57 non-FPA/FAFA12 partners participating and 120 new partner 
relationships created between organisations as a result of the capacity building and technical 
assistance strand of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative.  

The  projects  for  technical  assistance  for  organisations  based  in  the  EU  are  focused  on 
strengthening capacity in the area of networking. Partnership and alliance building amongst 
organisations  is  a  clear  priority  area,  which  organisations  wish  to  develop.  Other  thematic 
areas includes organisational development, project management, ensuring equal opportunity 
and understanding relevant national laws applying to the EU Aid Volunteers initiative, some 
of  which  are  features  of  the  standards  and  procedures  of  volunteer  management  under  the 
EUAV initiative, and requirements under the certification process. The projects for capacity 
building  for  organisations  based  in  third  countries  are  also  focused  on  partnership-building 
and  alliance  formation.  The  establishment  of  standards  governing  the  management  of 
partnerships,  needs  assessments,  programme  management  and 
local  volunteering 
development are other thematic areas which organisations intend to strengthen. 

Case study: boosting local response to floods 

Through  the  Balkans  and  Europe  for  Development  of  Resilience  Initiatives  project  –  BEDRIN  - 
organisations in EU countries and in the Western Balkans are gearing up for involvement in the EU 
Aid  Volunteers  initiative  while  also  building  up  local  organisations'  capacities  to  face  floods  and 
related risks in the Drin river basin area. 

Case study: getting organisations involved with EU Aid Volunteers:  

Volunteering  in  Humanitarian  Aid  - Sending  Organisation  (VolinHA-SO)  is  working  with  partners 
across nine EU countries and is using the EUAV standards as defined in the certification process to 
help to build their capacities, with a particular focus on strengthening volunteer management policy. 
Through  doing  this  the  project  aims  to  strengthen  links  between  volunteering  organisations  and 
increase their ability to take part in the EU Aid Volunteers initiative. 

11   List  of  applications  selected  for  funding  under  Round  1  and  Round  2  https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/eu-aid-volunteers/selection-

results/technical-assistance-and-capacity-building_en   

12   ECHO partners under Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA) or Financial and administrative framework agreement between the EU 

and the UN (FAFA). 

4 

 
  
 
                                                            
Capacity Building and Technical Assistance projects 2015 

Project partners based in EU countries 
Project partners based in third countries 

3.  Deployment 

Deployment of volunteers is one of the main actions under the EU Aid Volunteers initiative. 
The  objective  is  to  select,  prepare  and  deploy  junior  and  senior  volunteers  to  contribute  to 
strengthening  the  Union`s  capacity  to  provide  needs-based  humanitarian  aid  aimed  at 
strengthening the capacity and resilience of vulnerable and disaster-affected communities in 
third countries. A call for proposals EACEA/25/2015 was published in July 201513 providing 
funding with a total budget of EUR 8 400 000 for the co-financing of projects for deployment 
of  EU  Aid  Volunteers,  including  apprenticeship  placement  for  junior  professionals  and 
capacity building and/or technical  assistance for implementing organisations. The timing  of 
the call takes into account the progress of the certification mechanism and the need for a pool 
of  certified  organisations.  As  required  by  the  legislation,  the  volunteers  may  be  deployed 
(sent and  hosted)  by certified organisations only. Moreover, in  conformity with  the Annual 
Work Programme 2015, the projects are to be implemented by a consortium of at least three 
certified sending and three certified hosting organisations. By 30 October 2015 (the deadline 
of  the  call  for  proposals)  two  applications  involving  26  organisations  were  submitted.  The 
evaluation of the applications and the signature of the grant agreements are to be finalised in 
2016  with  a  maximum  EU  grant  of  EUR 1 392 442.17  and  start  of  the  implementation 
foreseen for June/July 2016.  

4.  Insurance 

Following  the  Annual  Work  Programme  for  2014  providing  budget  allocation  of 
EUR 4 000 000  for  the  period  2015-2020  for  the  insurance  of  EU  Aid  Volunteers  and 
apprenticeship  placements,  an  open  call  for  tenders  was  published14  on  31 December 
2014.The  objective  is  to  ensure  that  all  volunteers  participating  in  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers 

13   OJ C 249, 30.7.2015, p. 8. 
14  

 https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/about-eacea/calls-for-tender-eacea/insurance-for-eu-aid-volunteers_en 

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initiative  are  covered  by  a  complete  insurance  plan  specifically  designed  to  protect  them 
during the entire duration of their deployment. On 4 November 2015 a service contract was 
concluded  with  Cigna  International  Health  Service  BVBA  for  a  maximum  amount  of 
EUR 2 500 000  setting  up  an  insurance  scheme  to  be  applicable  as  soon  as  the  EU  Aid 
Volunteers  are  deployed.  The  first  interim  report  consisting  of  an  implementation  plan 
mentioning  the  different  steps,  related  activities,  and  a  proposed  timeline  to  establish  the 
necessary service structure was submitted in December 2015 by the contractor. 

5.  Training Programme 

An open call for tender for training was published on 30 October 201515. The objective is to 
develop  the  training  programme  for  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative;  to  provide  training 
services to  candidate  volunteers;  and  to  assess  the  competences  of the  candidate  volunteers 
trained pursuant to Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1398/2014 and Implementing Regulation 
(EU) No 1244/2014. The evaluation of the applications and the signature of the framework 
contract are to be finalised in the first half of 2016 with a training programme to be available 
to the candidate EU Aid Volunteers before their deployment.  

The  actions  presented  in  sections  1-5  are  delegated  to  and  implemented  by  the  Education, 
Audio-visual and Culture Agency (EACEA) in cooperation with the Commission services16. 
The  division  of  tasks  between  the  Commission  and  EACEA  is  based  on  Commission 
Decision  C(2013)9189  of  18.12.2013  delegating  powers  to  the  Education,  Audiovisual  and 
Culture Executive Agency with view to performance of tasks linked to the implementation of 
Union  programmes  in  the  field  of  education,  audiovisual  and  culture  comprising,  in 
particular, implementation of appropriations entered in the general budget of the Union and 
of the EDF allocations. EACEA is an executive agency responsible for the implementation of 
the technical aspects of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative through calls for proposals, calls for 
tender and contract management thereafter and for the implementation of the corresponding 
budget appropriations in line with the annual work programmes adopted by the Commission. 

In terms of operational management, the Commission remains directly responsible for setting 
up the Network of the EU Aid Volunteers, the central online platform and communications.  

The modalities and procedures of interaction are governed by Memoranda of Understanding 
between  Commission  services  and  EACEA.  In  2015  the  cooperation  between  the 
Commission  services  and  EACEA  further  evolved  and  resulted  in  active  interaction  in  the 
implementation  of  the  programme.  As  monitoring  is  a  key  issue  for  the  initiative,  a 
Framework  for  monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative  was 
established and entered into force on 1 October 2015. The framework outlines the distribution 
of  tasks  with  regard  to  the  data  collection  and  analysis.  The  data  collected  through  this 
framework and the relevant analysis shall feed into the reporting process and shall contribute 
to  the  interim  and  ex  post  evaluation  of  the  initiative.  The  first  joint  missions  involving 
representatives  of  EACEA  and  the  Commission  took  place  contributing  to  the  better 
monitoring of the projects. 

15   http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:396826-2015:TEXT:EN:HTML&tabId=1  
16   Commission Decision C(2013)9189 of 18.12.2013 delegating powers to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency with 
view  to  performance  of  tasks  linked  to  the  implementation  of  Union  programmes  in  the  field  of  education,  audiovisual  and  culture 
comprising, in particular, implementation of appropriations entered in the general budget of the Union and of the EDF allocations (as 
amended by Commission Decision C(2015)658 of 12.2.2015). 

6 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
6.  Support Measures 

With  the  current  challenges  facing  the  Union,  it  has  never  been  more  important  to  ensure 
effective communication and awareness-raising amongst EU citizens on concrete actions of 
solidarity supported by the Union, and in particular through the EU Aid Volunteers initiative.  

The  Annual  Work  Programme  for  2015  provides  financial  assistance  of  EUR  418  000  for 
support  measures  aiming  at  information  and  awareness  raising  of  potential  beneficiaries 
concerning the programme. 

A  Communication  Plan  (2015-2020)17  was  approved 
the 
communication  strategy,  objectives,  key  messages  and  possible  communication  activities 
underpinning  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative.  Implementation  is  undertaken  by  the 
Commission  and  third  parties  participating  in  the  initiative  primarily  volunteers,  sending 
organisations in Europe and hosting organisations in third countries.  

in  July  2015  outlining 

An Info and Networking Day was organised in January 2015. The aim of this public event 
was to explain to the future implementing partners the funding opportunities available under 
the EU Aid Volunteers initiative and to launch the first activities (the call for proposals for 
technical assistance and capacity building and the call for applications for the certification of 
sending and hosting organisations). The event was successful in terms of reaching potential 
beneficiaries with 108 persons attending, and organisations from 21 countries represented.  

A  'Back to  Base' conference was held in  Brussels in  September 2015,  with  volunteers and 
partner organisations from the pilot projects coming together to share their experiences and 
learning18.  The  conference  provided  the  opportunity  for  participants  to  contribute  to  the 
ongoing development of the initiative, including input on the EU Aid Volunteers platform. 
Participants  also  shared  their  stories  in  a  series  of  video  interviews19,  an  effective 
communication product for the future promotion of the initiative. 

A  short  film  "Becoming  a  certified  organization  and  benefit  from  highly-skilled  EU  Aid 
Volunteers" was produced explaining the certification process and helping the organisations 
to participate in the initiative.20 

The EU Aid Volunteers network allows stakeholders to exchange best practice and increase 
participation.  The  network  has  been  already  implemented  through  events  such  as  partners' 
roundtable  meetings  to  allow  partners  to  exchange  best  practice  and  learn  from  their 
experiences of the programme. The key tool to enable the work of this network is the EU Aid 
Volunteers platform, which entered production in 2015. The platform under development by 
the  Commission  will  support  partners  in  the  deployment  of  EU  Aid  Volunteers  through 
providing  a  volunteer  tracking  system,  enabling  online  volunteering  and  functioning  as  the 
database of EU Aid Volunteers. The platform will provide links for the EU Aid Volunteers to 
the training platform and their continuous learning and development pathway, and a tool to 
communicate with project partners and other volunteers.  

17   http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/euaidvolunteers/EUAV_CommunicationPlan_en.pdf 
18   Conference summary: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/sites/echo-site/files/EUAV_report.pdf  
19   http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers_en   
20   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOKqT_xpIXw 

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The  EU  Aid  Volunteers  platform  will  also  provide  a  way  for  partner  organisations  and 
volunteers  to  share  stories  from  the  field  to  facilitate  knowledge  exchange  and  enable 
partners  and  volunteers  to  work  more  closely  together,  supporting  better  coordination.  The 
platform  will  be  launched  in  2016,  with  its  initial  phase  focusing  on  support  for  the  first 
deployment projects. 

In  2015  a  unique  visual  identity  for  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  initiative  was  developed 
comprising  the  EU  flag,  the  name  of  the  initiative  and  the  EU  Aid  Volunteers  slogan  'We 
Care, We Act'. It is being rolled out across the initiative, to be used by the Commission and 
all third parties participating in the initiative, such as the implementing organisations in third 
countries, the sending organisations across the EU, and the volunteers, in compliance with the 
EU Aid Volunteers visibility guidelines and the EU Aid Volunteers communication plan.21.  

In 2015 several outreach activities involving  Member States and international organisations 
took  place  aiming  to  present  information  on  the  opportunities  provided  by  the  EU  Aid 
Volunteers initiative and to encourage the potential beneficiaries and volunteers to participate 
in the programme. 

The actions presented in section 6 are implemented by the Commission in cooperation with 
EACEA following the distribution of tasks between EACEA and the Commission services in 
the context of the delegation of powers. 

IV. Conclusions and way forward 

Following the adoption of the legislative package on the EU Aid Volunteers initiative, 2015 
was the first year of implementation of the full range of activities, including the certification 
of  organisations,  the  launch  of  the  call  for  proposals  for  technical  assistance  and  capacity 
building,  the  call  for  proposals  for  deployment,  the  call  for  tenders  for  the  training  of 
volunteers, the establishment of the insurance scheme and the start of the development of the 
EU  Aid  Volunteers  Platform.  The  pilot  phase  implemented  from  2011  to  2014  was  closed 
and  the  initiative  formally  launched  with  a  conference  attended  by  volunteers  and 
organisations that had participated in the pilot phase. 

Based  on  this  solid  foundation,  the  implementation  of  the  initiative  will  continue.  The 
concrete actions will be focused on the selection, training and deployment of volunteers; the 
implementation  of  the  current  projects  and  the  selection  of  new  projects  on  deployment  of 
volunteers, capacity building and technical assistance for hosting and sending organisations; 
the certification of applicant sending and hosting organisations.  The activities related to the 
application of the insurance scheme and the training of volunteers will continue. The EU Aid 
Volunteers  Platform  for  registration,  networking,  online  volunteering  and  learning  will  be 
launched.  

In line with the Work Programme for 201622, one of the main objectives will be to contribute 
to resilience building and disaster risk management in vulnerable, fragile or disaster affected 
countries  and  forgotten  crises,  including  actions  in  the  following  stages  of  the  disaster 
management  cycle:  disaster  prevention,  preparedness,  disaster  risk  reduction  and  recovery 

21   http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/euaidvolunteers/EUAV_CommunicationPlan_en.pdf 
22   Commission  Implementing  Decision  C(2015)9058  of  15.12.2015  concerning  the  adoption  of  the  2016  work  programme  and  the 

financing for the implementation of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative. 

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from natural and man-made disasters, early warning. The deployment of EU Aid volunteers 
in  third countries and the  projects aiming  at the capacity building  of the local  communities 
will  respond  to  the  Commission`s  strong  political  commitment  on  resilience  and  will 
contribute to building better prepared, inclusive, and stable societies, improving services and 
opportunities, mitigation of risks, and reducing suffering and loss.  

More information on the EU Aid Volunteers initiative can be found at the following address: 
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers_en.  

9