Young volunteers — mobility within the EU

 

SUMMARY OF:

Recommendation — mobility of young volunteers across the EU

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE RECOMMENDATION?

• It seeks to encourage European Union (EU) countries to promote the international mobility of young volunteers.
• It provides a system of more intensive cooperation between EU countries, on the basis of which new opportunities for mobility may be created.

KEY POINTS

• This recommendation sets up a system of cooperation for EU countries designed to encourage cross-border voluntary activities for young people*. It does so with due respect for the diversity of the EU countries’ own national volunteering schemes.
• Voluntary activities provide young people with a non-formal educational* and informal learning*experience. This helps to develop their professional and social skills, so increasing their chances of getting jobs and becoming active citizens and promoting their social inclusion. Volunteering offers young people a sense of purpose and responsibility, and gives them a structure in their lives.
• The recommendation urges EU countries to strengthen cooperation among voluntary organisations and public authorities involved in organising voluntary activities, in order to promote the mobility of young volunteers throughout Europe. It recommends that EU countries take action for example to:
  • make more information available about national voluntary activities;
  • improve the access to information about cross-border voluntary activities for all those involved;
  • make it easier for young volunteers to access cross-border voluntary activities, in particular by simplifying the procedures;
  • developopportunities for these activities through a flexible approach, taking into consideration aspects such as
    • hosting capacities;
    • establishment of contacts among volunteers;
    • use of European mobility mechanisms (e.g. European Youth Card);
    • mobility of youth workers*; and
    • training of those active in youth work;
  • promote the development of intercultural abilities and language learning to make mobility across borders easier;
  • support the development of self-assessment tools so that voluntary organisations may ensure the quality of their cross-border activities;
  • exchange information and cooperate with each other in order to assure the social and legal protection of volunteers;
  • promote the recognition of volunteers’ learning experience through the use of national and European level qualification instruments, such as Europass, Youthpass and the European Qualifications Framework;
  • promote the participation of young people with fewer opportunities in cross-border voluntary activities.
• The recommendation endorses European Commission support for EU countries’ actions relating to the above. This support is by means of the EU cooperation framework in the youth field, the open method of coordination, as well as the European Voluntary Service which is funded by the Erasmus+ programme. Lastly, a European Youth Volunteer Portal disseminates information to all stakeholders.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• ‘EU Youth Strategy’ on the European Commission's website

* KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council recommendation of 20 November 2008 on the mobility of young volunteers across the European Union (OJ C 319, 13.12.2008, pp. 8–10)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Council conclusions on language competences to enhance mobility (OJ C 372, 20.12.2011, pp. 27–30)

Council conclusions on a benchmark for learning mobility (OJ C 372, 20.12.2011, pp. 31–35)

last update 17.01.2017