Brussels, 19/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - After one year in the pilot phase, the European Aid Volunteers initiative will soon be ready for official launch. Hence the proposal presented on Wednesday 19 September by the European Commission to provide a framework of regulations for the implementation of this Lisbon Treaty (Article 214.5) innovation, which will allow some 10,000 EU citizens (or long term residents) to become volunteers for taking part in EU humanitarian operations throughout the world.
Appropriate training of volunteers and European management standards for human resources to be deployed on the ground between 2014 and 2020 - those are the two rules suggested by the Commission for this future standard bearer of European solidarity required for helping humanitarian organisations face up to the increased incidence of natural disasters and conflicts worldwide. The proposal provides a budget of €239.1 million (€58 million for the training programme, €137 million for the deployment of volunteers, €35 million for capacity building of communities affected by disasters to face up to their problems, and €9.1 million for support activities).
Presenting the proposal, Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, was delighted that this European Aid Volunteer Corps, to be “handpicked”, will soon become a “reality”. According to a Eurobarometer survey published in June, 88% of Europeans support the initiative (see EUROPE 10630). The commissioner said that 100 to 2,000 volunteers are recruited annually and that it is paramount that they are deployed in all security. For most volunteers, she said, deployment will be in post-disaster situations or in regions in which local communities are helped to prevent or reduce national disasters. It is not a question of duplicating humanitarian organisations but of strengthening existing organisations. Eighty percent of volunteer corps activities will be with partner organisations of ECHO (the Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection service).
Thus, the Commission suggests the development of European norms relating to the management of volunteers in the context of humanitarian projects - which will include the provisions concerning the safety of volunteers - and a training programme to prepare volunteers for deployment on the ground. Only candidates that are sufficiently well prepared will be deployed, and the EU Aid Volunteers initiative will be implemented in close cooperation with humanitarian organisations that adhere to the standards and would need to be certified to become “sending organisations”.
In order to apply to become volunteers, European citizens and long-time residents within the EU must have reached the age of 18.
EU Aid Volunteers will be trained together in multinational groups and will also be able to spend some months in apprenticeship placements in a foreign country in Europe before going to the field. A network of EU Aid Volunteers will be created that is expected to grow over the years into a unique pool of ambassadors for European solidarity. The provisions also provide for the training of 7,000 local staff and volunteers from organisations present in the countries affected by disasters. Through an on online volunteering portal another 10,000 people are expected to support the EU Aid Volunteers with tasks that can be done from home on a computer.
Since 2011, seven pilot projects have been conducted in 13 countries by 47 humanitarian organisations. (AN/transl.jl)