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Document 52008AR0252
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Mobility of Young Volunteers across Europe
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Mobility of Young Volunteers across Europe
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Mobility of Young Volunteers across Europe
SL C 76, 31.3.2009, p. 23–29
(BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
31.3.2009 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 76/23 |
Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Mobility of Young Volunteers across Europe’
(2009/C 76/05)
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
— |
notes that there are at present considerable differences between Member States regarding the way in which volunteering is organised and that there is a lack of statistical data and thorough research into volunteering. |
— |
calls upon the European Commission to support the promotion of cooperation between voluntary organisations by developing not only a European Youth Volunteer Portal, but also a database of best practices, projects, opportunities and detailed information. The European Commission should make use of and refer to national, regional and local information, so that the information is made more easily available to young people. |
— |
wholeheartedly supports the initiative of the European Parliament and others to declare 2011 the European Year of Volunteering, and is ready to participate actively in its implementation. Throughout this year particular attention should be paid to young people and inclusion. |
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calls upon the Commission, the Member States and the local and regional authorities to strongly support volunteering within the education system, so that young people come into contact with voluntary activities at an early stage and come to see it as a normal contribution to community life. Such voluntary activities could become part of the curriculum. |
— |
believes that volunteering constitutes a particularly valuable possibility of mobility for young people. In view of this, disadvantaged young people who would like to volunteer and who would otherwise benefit less, or not at all, from opportunities for mobility, require various forms of support. Support to the training and mobility of socio-educational instructors specialised in youth and youth leaders will be very useful in this context. Moreover, the opportunities which local and regional authorities have to reach this target group more effectively should be utilised. |
Rapporteur |
: |
Rinda DEN BESTEN (NL/PES), Executive Member of Utrecht Council |
Reference document
Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the Mobility of Young Volunteers across Europe
COM(2008) 424 final
I. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
1. |
notes that there are at present considerable differences between Member States regarding the way in which volunteering is organised and that there is a lack of statistical data and thorough research into volunteering. Because harmonisation of laws and regulations is neither possible nor desirable, the Committee of the Regions proposes that a phased approach be adopted. The first phase would consist of a detailed study of the different systems and laws and regulations which exist in the various Member States with regard to volunteering, the wishes of (potential) young volunteers and the obstacles which they encounter when they want to volunteer abroad, and the benefit of volunteering for the young volunteer as well as the region of origin and host region. This information could contribute to the discussion and generate a new policy which fits in well with the reality of youth volunteering in Europe. |
2. |
welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to promote the mobility of young volunteers across Europe. |
3. |
appreciates the European Commission's creativity in its search for a way to facilitate youth volunteering in another EU country, but is afraid that making national schemes for voluntary activities interoperable is not the solution because of the different ways of organising volunteering in the various European countries. For these reasons we advocate the promotion of cooperation between voluntary organisations (be they social organisations or authorities) in different EU countries and we encourage Member States to promote cross-border voluntary projects. |
4. |
calls upon the European Commission to support the promotion of cooperation between voluntary organisations by developing not only a European Youth Volunteer Portal, but also a database of best practices, projects, opportunities and detailed information. The European Commission should make use of and refer to national, regional and local information, so that the information is made more easily available to young people. |
5. |
emphasises the role of local and regional authorities with regard to volunteering and in particular the involvement of young people with fewer opportunities. Volunteering can open up a way to inclusion for youth with fewer opportunities, and since in many Member States the local and regional authorities are directly responsible for youth policy and possess a great deal of knowledge and experience on the subject, this is the level where innovative and creative solutions are usually found and where important partnerships are entered into. In addition, local and regional authorities play an important role in encouraging young people since they are close to the organisations which receive volunteers and can motivate them to exchange young volunteers. |
6. |
calls upon the Member States to allocate adequate funds to local and regional authorities for the implementation of common objectives for voluntary activities by young people and encourages Member States to make use of EU funds and programmes (such as the European Social Fund and the Youth in Action Programme) to enhance the quality of international voluntary projects by offering support and guidance to national, regional and local voluntary organisations. This support is intended to help organisations to build up international contacts, develop specific competences which are necessary in order to support young people from other countries and to set up international projects. |
7. |
recommends that the local and regional authorities should strongly support the development of an infrastructure to support volunteering, whilst at the same time, of course, leaving the autonomy of volunteering intact. For example, the establishment of local and regional volunteer centres can help to promote volunteering, supply information, motivate young people to do cross-border volunteering and assess the quality and effectiveness of volunteering. |
8. |
deplores the fact that there are still socio-economic and administrative obstacles which hinder the mobility of young volunteers. It therefore proposes to take the lead by drawing up a list of these obstacles in the context of a broad review of volunteering (as described in point 1 of this opinion). Because of the lack of data on volunteering, the Committee of the Regions also requests the Member States to submit the findings of the broad review by 2011, so that volunteering policy can be adjusted. |
9. |
wholeheartedly supports the initiative of the European Parliament and others to declare 2011 the European Year of Volunteering, and is ready to participate actively in its implementation. Throughout this year particular attention should be paid to young people and inclusion. |
10. |
would stress the importance of reducing linguistic barriers in Europe by encouraging language learning by volunteers. |
11. |
points out that volunteering needs a broader definition than the one used in the proposal. Volunteering can be done on either a full-time or a part-time basis, for a short or long term, unpaid or with pocket money and/or coverage of expenses, with or without a contribution from the volunteer depending on the target group and circumstances. |
12. |
emphasises the importance of recognising skills acquired, so that they may be used later in the volunteer's career (work or study). Volunteering is after all an important form of informal learning and contributes to the development and accessibility of youth education. For these reasons schools, as well as social organisations and the business community should be able to play a (greater) role in recognising skills acquired through volunteering and in implementing the existing instruments for this purpose, Europass and Youthpass. |
13. |
calls upon the Commission, the Member States and the local and regional authorities to strongly support volunteering within the education system, so that young people come into contact with voluntary activities at an early stage and come to see it as a normal contribution to community life. Such voluntary activities could become part of the curriculum. |
14. |
considers it extremely important to ensure a proper balance regarding the added value that volunteering can bring for young people and for society (in all its aspects). The interests and the development of young people always come first and the interests of society follow on from that through the more active commitment and involvement of young people in society. |
15. |
expresses its appreciation for the European Voluntary Service (EVS) and hopes to see it further developed in the future so that as many young people as possible have the opportunity to engage in volunteering abroad. |
II. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS
Amendment 1
Recital 7
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
The concept of interoperability requires too much explanation and is difficult to apply to volunteer systems in some countries. Harmonisation and centralisation of volunteering is not the purpose of the European Commission's proposal, but making voluntary activities interoperable could well be interpreted in that way. What is desirable is that young people — if they so wish — should be able to do voluntary work in another EU country. This should be made easier than at present by encouraging cooperation between voluntary organisations.
Amendment 2
Recital 13
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
Not all EU countries have national schemes for volunteering. This would mean that some countries would have to introduce national schemes and this would contravene the subsidiarity principle. By replacing the word ‘schemes’ by ‘voluntary activities’ or ‘opportunities’, the text would be applicable to all EU countries and would conform with the subsidiarity principle without losing too much meaning.
Amendment 3
Recital 14
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
In some cases, young people do have the funds to contribute themselves to a voluntary project. Moreover, making their own contribution (however much or little) creates a ‘commitment’ and makes young people honour-bound to actually go and do volunteering abroad.
Amendment 4
Recital 15
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
In many Member States, youth policy is mainly shaped by local and regional authorities. Moreover, local and regional authorities are the closest of all authorities to young citizens. This is therefore the most suitable level to get through to young people with fewer opportunities.
Amendment 5
Recital 16
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
See amendments 1 and 2.
Amendment 6
Recital 17
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
See amendments 1 and 2.
Amendment 7
Article A
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
See amendments 1 and 2.
Amendment 8
Article B(1)
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
See amendment 2.
Amendment 9
Article B(4)
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
See amendment 2.
Amendment 10
Article B(7)
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Reason
See amendment 2.
Volunteering can open up a way to inclusion for young people with fewer opportunities. They especially need extra encouragement to do cross-border volunteering.
Amendment 11
Article B(14)
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
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Amendment 12
Article 2
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
2. encourage and organise, in liaison with Member States, a systematic exchange of information and experiences about the interoperability of national volunteering schemes organised by civil society or public authorities; |
2. encourage and organise, in liaison with Member States, a systematic exchange of information and experiences about the interoperability of national promotion of European cooperation on volunteering schemes organised by civil society or public authorities; |
Reason
See amendments 1 and 2.
Amendment 13
Article 4
Text proposed by the Commission |
CoR amendment |
4. report to the Council four years after the adoption of this Recommendation to determine whether the measures proposed are working effectively and to assess the need for further actions. |
4. report to the Council four years after the adoption of this Recommendation by 2011 to determine whether the measures proposed are working effectively and to assess the need for further actions. |
Reason
In the European Parliament an initiative to declare 2011 the European Year of Volunteering has been signed by 454 MEPs. The Committee of the Regions also supports this initiative. In 2011, moreover, it will have been ten years since the International Year of Volunteers was held. Thus, an excellent moment, just beforehand, for the European Commission to publish a report on volunteering.
Brussels, 26 November 2008.
The President
of the Committee of the Regions
Luc VAN DEN BRANDE