2011-09-22

Two days ago, the European Commission presented plans to further improve recognistion and promotion of volunteering in the EU. The communication is a political achievement of the running European Year of Volunteering 2011. The Commission identified seven obstacles to volunteering differing from each member state. Among them is the lack of a clear legal framework, the lack of national strategies and recognition and insufficient data on volunteering.

The Commission announced the creation of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps and the development of a 'European Skills Passport'. The passport will be based on the existing Europass.
The Commission also called to the Member States to make better use of the potential of volunteering and to open national funding programmes for fostering cross-border volunteering. The Commission will follow up on initiatives promoting cross-border volunteering in the context of the 2013 European Year of Citizens. Concerning education and volunteering, the commission stresses that recognising volunteering as a form of learning is therefore a priority of EU action in education and training.

Communication on Volunteering