The Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) supports an extension of the European Solidarity Corps for the period 2021-2027. At their meeting on 4 February, MEPs supported the Commission's idea of including humanitarian activities outside the EU in this programme. They also supported a clear distribution of the budget, with a strong emphasis on voluntary activities.
The European Solidarity Corps was launched in December 2016 by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11684) to enable young people aged 18-30 to participate in a range of solidarity activities through voluntary service, internships or fixed-term employment within the EU. The Commission has proposed extending the scheme for the period 2018-2020 in the first instance and then to include it in the new 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework.
The CULT committee's vote involved this second proposal. Overall, MEPs supported the main points put forward by the Commission. However, they wished to emphasise that the programme needs to be accessible to young people in need of special support (those from the outermost regions, immigrants, people with disabilities or health problems, etc.).
Following the Council’s decision in November 2018 (see EUROPE 12146), MEPs supported a clear allocation of the total budget (€1.26 billion at current prices) to each strand: 86% for volunteering, 8% for internships and jobs and 6% for humanitarian aid activities.
The report was adopted with 14 votes in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention. A vote to confirm the Parliament's first-reading position is scheduled for the plenary session in March. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)