On Wednesday 28 April, the European Commission opened a public consultation on its draft revision of the EU Council Recommendation on the mobility of young volunteers in the EU.
Its proposal is expected in the third quarter of 2021. It will therefore focus on the current Recommendation, adopted 13 years ago.
“The needs of young volunteers and civil society organisations addressed in the 2008 Recommendation are still relevant, but it could be more ambitious and linked better to the current EU funding instruments”, the Commission says, pointing out that “Youth organisations considered the Recommendation not ambitious enough in scope and objectives”.
The revision envisaged by the Commission would therefore aim to overcome the remaining administrative obstacles in order to avoid, in particular, young persons partaking in volunteer activities finding themselves with a different legal status in the context of cross-border activities - with the risk of losing their entitlement to social benefits - or being denied recognition of the skills they have acquired while volunteering.
It would also “shape a shared understanding of the concept of solidarity” to allow for a more coherent approach when designing projects involving civil society organisations from different European countries.
The public consultation will remain open until 21 July. To consult it: https://bit.ly/3vr3cI9 (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)