Brussels, 03/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 3 June, the European Commission decided to propose that 2011 be designated as the "European Year of Volunteering". The Commission proposes to allocate a budget of €6 million for the European Year and an additional amount of €2 million for the preparatory actions starting in 2010. The Council and the European Parliament are expected to endorse this proposal by the beginning of next year. During the most recent “Youth Councils”, member states displayed their interest in promoting volunteering and youth participation in European citizenship. Several MEPs, including Doris Pack (EPP-ED, Germany) said they wanted to see 2011 celebrate volunteering in Europe.
In the European Union, millions of citizens are volunteering and making a positive contribution to their community by investing some of their free time in civil society organisations, in youth clubs, in hospitals, in schools, in sport clubs. By making 2011 the Year of Volunteering, the Commission, seeks to make volunteering into “an active expression of civic participation which strengthens common European values such as solidarity and social cohesion”. Involvement in voluntary activities can provide people with new skills and competences and even improve their employability. This is particularly important in this time of economic crisis. Volunteering has a great, but so far under-exploited, potential for the social and economic development of Europe. Dedicating 2011 to the topic of volunteering will help member states, regional and local communities and civil society achieve the following objectives: 1) Work towards an enabling and facilitating environment for volunteering in the EU; 2) Empower volunteer organisations and improve the quality of volunteering; 3) Reward and recognise volunteering activities; and 4) Raise awareness of the value and importance of volunteering.
The Commission expects that the European Year of Volunteering will lead to an increase in volunteering and to greater awareness of its added value, and that it will highlight the link between voluntary engagement at local level and its significance in the wider European context. The European Year of Volunteering should help volunteers and volunteering organisations from everywhere in Europe to meet and to learn what is done best in other countries. The public authorities will be able to learn more about volunteers and making volunteering easier. Citizens who do not know much about volunteering should find out more about it, and maybe become volunteers one day themselves. And finally, the European Year should give recognition to the volunteers. The proposed activities will take place in all member states and should focus on communication and awareness-raising measures, such as conferences, seminars, exchange of experience and publications. The emphasis will be placed on funding projects with a volunteering dimension in the EU's action programmes, such as the 'Youth in Action Programme', which aims to involve all levels - European, national, regional and local. The ownership of the European Year shall remain with the volunteers and the volunteer organisations, and many activities and celebrations will be organised from the bottom-up. (I.L./transl.rh)