On 20 September the European Commission adopted a Communication on “EU policies and volunteering: recognising and promoting cross- border voluntary activities in the EU”, the first Commission document dealing exclusively with volunteering and it is issued in the context of the European Year of Volunteering 2011.  

In the Communication sets out a series of measures have been identified to foster voluntary activities in the EU, namely:

• To create a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps by 2012
• To develop a European Skills Passport that will give individuals the possibility of keeping a record of the skills and competences they acquire through volunteering
• To increase validation of non-formal and informal learning including the recognition of competences acquired through volunteering
• To make EU funding programme further target volunteers and to make them easier for EU citizens to understand
• To further explore possibilities to strengthen the link between volunteering and health/welfare, in particular with regard to the ageing society
• To introduce volunteering in the EU's policies and strategies namely the employment strategy, the fight against poverty and social exclusion policy and the"New Skills for New Jobs" initiative to match and anticipate labour market needs.
• The Commission will give the forthcoming European Year of Citizens (2013) an appropriate volunteering dimension, promoting notably cross-border volunteering.

On the basis of Member States' reports on the implementation of the Recommendation on the Mobility of Young Volunteers in 2012, the Commission will make proposals for further development.

The Commission has also recommends that Member States that do not already have a clear framework and precise regulation about volunteering put legislation in place for recognition of voluntary activities.

Moreover,on 3 October 2011,the Council of the European Union adopted Conclusions on “The role of voluntary activities in social policy” representing another step forward to the reinforcement of the volunteering sector.  

These documents represent two milestones in the efforts of the Alliance for the European Year of Volunteering 2011 whose working groups are addressing the different aspects of volunteering: quality, legal framework, volunteering infrastructure, recognition, economic and social value, employee volunteering.

A survey conducted in 2010 by the EFC on the role of foundations and volunteering shows that they play a key role supporting volunteering at different levels: providing financial support for projects of volunteer grass root organisations, documenting volunteering, raising standards in the field, strengthening the infrastructure for voluntary work, organising special programmes and capacity building.

Further information

2011 European Year on volunteering official website