Ecdc.europa.eu Youth in Action programme: European Voluntary Service Maria Podlasek-Ziegler European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture.

ecdc.europa.eu

Youth in Action programme: European Voluntary Service

Maria Podlasek-ZieglerEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for Education and Culture

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Volunteering

- 100 million Europeans engaged in voluntary activities- Adults aged 30 to 50 years the most active in

volunteering- Many sectors concerned: sport, social care, welfare,

health as well as justice culture, education, youth, environment and climate action, consumer protection, humanitarian aid, development policy, equal opportunities

- Great impact beyond national borders: potential for education, employment and citizenship

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Volunteering

The added value of volunteering:

• creating social and human capital, pathway to integration and employment, key factor in improving social cohesion

• translating European fundamental values of justice, solidarity, inclusion and citizenship into action

• shaping European society

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2011 the European Year of Volunteering

• Taking stock of volunteering in the European Union and its contribution to society

• Evaluation what the European Union and Member States can do to facilitate and promote volunteering notably in cross-border situation

- Communication on EU policies and Volunteering: Recognising and Promoting Cross-border Voluntary Activities in the EU (20/09/2011)

- Report assessing the Year’s outcomes (before the end of 2012)

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EU funding opportunities for volunteering

• The European Voluntary Service as part of the Youth in Action programme

• The Europe for Citizens programme

• The Grundtvig programme as part of the Lifelong Learning Programme

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Youth and Volunteering

• EU Strategy for youth – Investing and Empowering – A renewed open method of coordination to address youth challenges and opportunities

• The Council Recommendation on the Mobility of young volunteers

• Youth on the Move flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy

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The European Voluntary Service

• Open to all young people aged 18 to 30 coming from the EU or from other countries of the world

• Involving young people, either individually or in groups, in voluntary activities in various fields, such as culture, youth, social care, cultural heritage, sports, environment, etc.

• Free of charge for volunteers, except for a possible contribution to the travel costs

• Involving different actors such as non-governmental organisations, local or regional public bodies, European NGOs, profit making bodies active in the field of volunteering, youth, culture or sport

• Offering volunteering opportunities in 175 countries (main focus on 33 Programme Countries)

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The European Voluntary Service

Programme Countries• 27 Member States, • EEA/EFTA countries: Norway, Lichtenstein, IcelandSwitzerland • Croatia and Turkey

Partner countries• 22 neighbouring partner countries, among them EECA:

Armenia, Aserbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine

• 118 other partner countries of the world

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The European Voluntary Service• more than 50 000 young volunteers since its

launch in 1996• in 2010, 7 000 volunteers among them ca.

1500 with fewer opportunities)• Ca. 3700 projects submitted, ca. 2400 granted

(success rate 65%)• Budget per year: ca. €44,5 Mio• Average funding per project: €18,865, • Average funding per participant € 6,615

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The European Voluntary Service:impact on young people

• Communication in foreign languages – 97%

• Social and civic competencies – 79%

• Personal development – 93%

• Interest in engaging in further educational opportunities – 87 %

• Increased job chances – 75%

• More confidence to move around in other countries – 95%

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The European Voluntary Service:impact on organisations and local

communities

• Interest in participating in similar projects – 85%• Increased project management competencies – 91%• Increased appreciation of cultural diversity – 95%• More contact with other countries – 85 %• The project perceived as an enrichment by local

communities – 86%

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The European Voluntary Service:Cooperation with EECA countries

2007-2010

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The European Voluntary Service:Cooperation with EECA countries

2007-2010

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Reinforced cooperation with neighbouring countries

Commission Communication: A new response to a Changing Neighbourhood (May 2011)

• Supporting progress towards deep democracy• Supporting sustainable economic and social

development• Strengthening the Eastern Partnership and the

Southern Mediterranean Partnership• Providing efficient instruments fit to deliver

these objectives

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Reinforced cooperation with neighbouring countries

Relevance for youth

• strengthening people-to-people contacts, including youth

• expanding participation in EAC programmes, including Youth in Action

A new Eastern Partnership Youth Window:+ ca. € 31,5 Miofor 2 years (2012-2013) from ENPI

funds (DG DEVCO)(provisional figures)

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Reinforced cooperation with neighbouring countries

Regional scope:

• Eastern Neighbouring Countries (i.e. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine)

• Programme Countries

Not included: Russian Federation + other Neighbouring Partner Countries

Additional award criteria: • focus on young people living in rural or deprived areas• project raising awareness about youth work and promoting the

sharing of best practices

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European Voluntary Service

Working for the Anne Frank House was a great way ofgetting familiar with the activities of a leadingEuropean NGO and its outstanding approaches in teaching about tolerance and human rights. I am nowconvinced that countries like Ukraine need a strongdevelopment of NGO’s that strive for civil society andthat young people can play a significant role.

Sergey, 24, working as an EVS volunteer with the Anne-FrankFoundation in the Netherlands 01/12/2008-31/12/2009