The European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution approving the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Solidarity Corps programme and repealing Regulations (EU) 2018/1475 and (EU) No 375/2014.

The proposed regulation establishes the European Solidarity Corps programme for the period of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027.

Objective

The overall objective of the programme is to increase the involvement of young people and organisations in solidarity activities, mainly through volunteering, with the aim of strengthening cohesion, solidarity, democracy, European identity and active citizenship in the Union and beyond, by addressing societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground. Special efforts will be made to promote sustainable development, social inclusion and equal opportunities.

The Programme aims to provide young people, including young people with fewer opportunities, with easily accessible opportunities to participate in solidarity activities that bring about positive societal change in the EU and abroad, while allowing them to strengthen and duly validate their skills and facilitating their continued participation as active citizens.

To this end, the programme sets up two strands of actions for the participation of young people, one in solidarity activities and the other in humanitarian aid activities (the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps).

Budget

The financial envelope for the implementation of the programme for the period 2021-2027 is set at EUR 1 009 000 000 in current prices.

With a maximum of 20 % for national volunteering, the indicative breakdown of this amount is as follows: (a) 94 % for volunteering and solidarity projects, (b) 6 % for volunteering.

Participation

The European Solidarity Corps will only offer voluntary activities to young people between 18 and 30 years of age . For volunteers in the field of humanitarian aid, the upper age limit will be up to 35, with the possibility of hiring experts and coaches without an upper age limit.

The programme will be implemented through work programmes adopted by means of implementing acts.

In a statement, the European Commission took note of the European Parliament's proposal to consider ‘the number of local actors applying the knowledge, principles and approaches learnt through the humanitarian activities in which the volunteer and the experts have participated’ when supplementing the regulation with provisions on the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework.

The Council adopted its position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Solidarity Corps programme and repealing regulations (EU) 2018/1475 and (EU) No 375/2014.

The proposed regulation establishes the European Solidarity Corps programme for the period of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027.

Objectives

The overall objective of the programme is to increase the involvement of young people and organisations in accessible and high-quality solidarity activities, mainly through volunteering, with the aim of strengthening cohesion, solidarity, democracy, European identity and active citizenship in the Union and beyond, as well as addressing societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with particular efforts to promote sustainable development, social inclusion and equal opportunities.

The programme sets up two strands of actions for the participation of young people, one in solidarity activities and the other in humanitarian aid activities (the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps).

Actions supported

The actions supported by the programme for both strands are (i) volunteering, (ii) solidarity projects, (iii) networking activities and (iv) quality and support measures including the development and maintenance of a quality label and the setting up of a European Solidarity Corps portal.

The Programme should support solidarity activities which present a clear European added value, for example through their:

- transnational character;

- ability to complement other programmes and policies at local, regional, national, Union and international level;

- European dimension regarding their themes and aims, approaches, expected outcomes and other aspects of these solidarity activities;

- approach to involving young people from different backgrounds;

- contribution to the effective use of Union transparency and recognition tools.

The Council position strengthens the provisions relating to the participating organisations, in particular with regard to the European Solidarity Corps quality label.

Budget

The financial envelope for the implementation of the programme for the period 2021-2027 is set at EUR 1 009 000 000 in current prices.

With a maximum of 20% for in-country volunteering, the indicative breakdown of this amount is as follows: (a) 94% for volunteering and solidarity projects, (b) 6% for volunteering.

Participation of natural persons

As regards the age limit for volunteers in the field of humanitarian aid, the Council position maintains the general rule of age limits of 18-30 for all volunteers but adds a specific derogation for volunteers in the field of humanitarian aid (upper age limit of up to 35 years). Provisions for experienced coaches, mentors and experts have been strengthened.

Inclusion

When implementing the Regulation, the Commission, the Member States and the third countries associated with the programme should ensure that specific measures are taken to promote social inclusion and equal access, in particular as regards the participation of young people with fewer opportunities.

Insurance coverage

In the light of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on European Solidarity Corps volunteers, a number of provisions have been introduced in the Council position to improve the insurance coverage of participants as well as security checks to protect vulnerable persons, such as children.

For organisations participating in the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, the safety and security of volunteers, based on risk assessments, should be a priority.

Governance

The programme will be implemented through work programmes adopted by means of implementing acts. A new recital specifies that actions or initiatives which are not supported under the Regulation cannot be included in the work programme.

Information, communication and dissemination

The recipients of Union funding should acknowledge the origin of those funds and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public.

The programme should apply from 1 January 2021. A mid-term review of the programme should be presented by the Commission by 31 December 2024.

The European Parliament adopted by 513 votes to 95, with 64 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Solidarity Corps Programme and repealing the [European Solidarity Corps Regulation] and Regulation (EU) No 375/2014.

The position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure has amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Objectives of the project

The overall objective of the programme would be to promote solidarity as a value, mainly through volunteering and to strengthen the engagement of a generation of young people more likely to engage in solidarity activities in order to contribute to strengthening social cohesion, solidarity, democracy, European identity and active citizenship in the Union and beyond, to support communities and to address societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground. Emphasis should be placed on social inclusion and equal opportunities.

Actions should promote solidarity between Member States as well as with third countries affected by man-made crises or natural disasters, while aiming to strengthen the promotion of solidarity and the visibility of humanitarian aid among EU citizens, as well as to facilitate the transition from humanitarian aid to sustainable and inclusive development in the long term.

The programme should also enable young people to validate their skills for personal, educational, social, cultural and civic development and professional development, by facilitating their continued engagement as active citizens, their employability and their transition to the labour market.

Solidarity activities

These would be high quality, inclusive and adequately funded activities (i) aimed at meeting important societal needs for the benefit of a community or society as a whole, (ii) with European added value and (iii) respecting health and safety regulations and international human rights standards. They could take the form of volunteering, internships, jobs, solidarity projects and networking activities in various fields.

Members have clarified the concepts:

- voluntary service means an optional solidarity activity consisting of the exercise of an activity of public utility which contributes to social welfare, which a participant carries out during his free time and of his own free will, without the right to remuneration, for a period of not more than 12 months;

- internship: a paid solidarity activity in the form of professional experience in a participating organisation for a period of three to six months, renewable once and for a maximum period of 12 months, and including a training component enabling the participant to acquire relevant skills and experience;

- employment" means an activity of solidarity paid for a period of 3 to 12 months, including an apprenticeship and training component, based on a written contract, without replacing or replacing an existing job offer;

- "participant": a person aged between 18 and 30 years, legally residing in a participating country, who has registered on the portal of the European Solidarity Corps.

Dialogue with local and regional authorities and European networks specialised in urgent social issues should be encouraged in order to best identify the unmet needs of society and ensure a needs-based programme. The Commission should consult regularly with key stakeholders, including participating organisations, on the implementation of the programme.

Joint actions

These actions should also facilitate the access of people with disabilities to all proposed activities and provide opportunities to provide feedback on solidarity activities and promote the programme as an ambassador. Support measures should also aim at:

- protect beneficiaries of solidarity activities, including targeted training for participants who carry out solidarity activities for vulnerable groups, including children, as well as background checks for participants working with children;

- promote social inclusion and equal opportunities, in particular with a view to the participation of young people with fewer prospects, such as appropriate formats for solidarity activities and personalised support;

- provide capacity building and administrative support for participating organizations;

- encourage social enterprises to support the activities of the programme or to enable workers to engage in voluntary activities under the programme.

Members have introduced amendments to ensure a higher visibility of the European Solidarity Corps.

Budget

The financial envelope for the execution of the programme for the period 2021-2027 would be EUR 1 112 988 000 at 2018 prices (EUR 1 260 000 000 000 at current prices). An amount of the budget would also be devoted to the exchange of good practices between Member States and the development of youth networks.

The indicative breakdown of this amount would be as follows: (i) volunteering for solidarity activities and projects: 86%; (ii) internships and jobs: 8%; and (iii) volunteering in support of humanitarian assistance operations: 6%.

Participation, quality labels, annual programmes

The European Solidarity Body would be open to the participation of public or private entities, whether profit-making or not, and international organisations, including youth organisations, religious organisations, charities, secular humanist organisations, NGOs or other civil society actors, provided that they offer solidarity activities, have legal personality in accordance with the legislation of the country where they are registered and have obtained the European Solidarity Body quality label.

The specific requirements to be fulfilled in order to obtain the quality label would vary according to the type of solidarity activity and the functioning of the entity. Participating organisations that have been awarded a quality label would have access to a platform that would allow them to easily search for suitable candidates.

Each year, secondary strategic choices and priorities, including details of specific actions, would be set by means of an annual work programme adopted by means of delegated acts.

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the report by Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Solidarity Corps programme and repealing [European Solidarity Corps Regulation] and Regulation (EU) No 375/2014.

The Committee on Development and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, exercising their prerogatives as associated committees in accordance with Rule 54 of the Rules of Procedure , also gave their opinions on the report.

The relevant committees recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal as follows:

Objectives

The general objective of the programme is to promote solidarity as a value, mainly through volunteering, enhance the engagement of a generation of young people more likely to engage in solidarity activities and organisations in accessible and high-quality solidarity activities as a means to contribute to strengthening social cohesion, solidarity, democracy, European identity and active citizenship in the Union and abroad, to support communities and respond to societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with particular effort to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities.

The programme seeks to provide young people to validate their competences for personal, educational, social, cultural, civic and professional development, as well as facilitating their continuous engagement as active citizens, employability and transition into the labour market.

Solidarity activities

These would be high quality, inclusive and adequately funded activities (i) aimed at addressing societal challenges to the benefit of a community or society as a whole, (ii) contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the European Solidarity Corps, (iii) with European added value and (iv) respecting health and safety regulations and international human rights standards. They may take the form of volunteering, traineeships, jobs, solidarity projects and networking activities in various fields.

Members have clarified the following terms:

- ‘volunteering’ means an optional solidarity activity consisting in the performance of an activity for the public benefit that contributes to the achievement of public welfare, which a participant performs in his or her free time and of his or her free will, without an entitlement to remuneration, for a period of up to 12 months;

- ‘traineeship’ means a paid solidarity activity that takes the form of work practice within a participating organisation for a period from three to six months, renewable once and for a maximum duration of 12 months, that is offered and paid by the participating organisation hosting the European Solidarity Corps participant and that involves a learning component to gain relevant skills and experience;

- ‘job’ means a decently paid solidarity activity for a period from three to 12 months, which includes a learning and training component, is based on a written agreement and is offered and paid by the participating organisation employing the European Solidarity Corps participant, not replacing or substituting an existing employment opportunity.

Stakeholders, especially youth networks and participating organisations, should be consulted regularly throughout the implementation of the programme.

Common actions

These actions should also facilitate the access of people with disabilities to all proposed activities and provide opportunities to provide feedback on solidarity activities and promote the programme as an ambassador. Support measures should also aim to:

- protect beneficiaries of solidarity activities, including the targeted training of participants who undertake their solidarity activities for the benefit of vulnerable groups, including children, and background checks of participants working with children;

- promote social inclusion and equal opportunities, in particular for the participation of young people with fewer opportunities, such as appropriate formats of solidarity activities and personalised support;

- ensure capacity building and administrative support for participating organisations;

- encourage social enterprises to support programme activities or to allow employees to engage in volunteering activities under the programme.

Members introduced amendments to ensure a higher visibility of the European Solidarity Corps.

Budget

The financial envelope for the implementation of the programme for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 1 112 988 000 in 2018 prices [EUR 1 260 000 000 in current prices]. An adequate amount of the budget shall also be dedicated to the exchange of best practices among Member States and the development of youth networks.

The indicative breakdown would be as follows: (i) volunteering for solidarity activities and projects: 86 %; (ii) traineeships and jobs: 8 %; and (iii) volunteering in support of humanitarian aid operations: 6 %.

Participation, quality labels, annual programmes

The European Solidarity Corps shall be open to the participation of public or private entities, whether non-profit or profit making, and international organisations, including youth organisations, religious institutions, charity associations, secular humanistic organisations, NGOs or other actors from civil society, provided that they offer solidarity activities, that they have legal personality under the law of the country in which they are registered and provided that they have received a European Solidarity Corps quality label.

The specific requirements to be fulfilled in order to obtain a quality label shall vary depending on the type of solidarity activity and the function of the entity. Participating organisations that have been attributed a quality label shall have access to a platform to easily search for suitable applicants.

The operational objectives and corresponding policy priorities of the actions to be implemented through the activities under the strands shall be specified in detail in the annual work programmes to be adopted by means of delegated acts.

PURPOSE: to establish the European solidarity corps for the period 2021-2027.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the European Union is built on solidarity, a shared value which is strongly felt throughout European society. There are many young people who want to engage in solidarity activities, and there are many unmet needs in communities that could be addressed by involving young people in such activities.

The State of the Union address of 14 September 2016 emphasised the need to invest in young people and announced the establishment of a European Solidarity Corps with a view to creating opportunities for young people across the Union to make a meaningful contribution to society, show solidarity and develop their skills.

In its communication of 7 December 2016, the Commission launched the first phase of the Corps and reiterated the target of having 100 000 young Europeans taking part in it by 2020. During this initial phase, eight different EU programmes were mobilised to offer volunteering, traineeship or job opportunities to young people across the EU.

As there is potential to further develop solidarity with victims of crises and disasters in non-EU countries, this proposal provides for extending the scope of the European Solidarity Corps to include support to humanitarian aid operations in non-EU countries , including those located in the EU outermost regions' neighbourhood.

The new programme shall allow at least 350 000 young Europeans to support communities in need between 2021 and 2027 through volunteering, traineeships and job placements.

CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the European solidarity corps under the multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027. The regulation on the European solidarity corps shall be repealed with effect from 1 January 2021.

The European solidarity corps aims to strengthen the engagement of young people and organisations in accessible and high-quality solidarity activities . It is a means to strengthen cohesion, solidarity and democracy in Europe and abroad and to address societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with a particular focus on promoting social inclusion.

It shall enable participants to strengthen and validate their skills and facilitate their integration into the labour market.

The programme shall offer activities that can be undertaken in a country other than the country of residence of the participants (cross-border activities and volunteering in support of humanitarian aid) and activities that can be undertaken in their country of residence (in-country). The programme shall be implemented under two strands of action:

Strand 1: participation of young people in solidarity activities addressing societal challenges : the actions shall contribute in particular to strengthening cohesion, solidarity and democracy in the EU and beyond, while addressing societal challenges, with particular efforts to promote social inclusion; Strand 2: participation of young people in humanitarian aid related solidarity activities (European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps) : these actions shall contribute in particular to providing needs-based humanitarian aid, aimed at preserving lives, preventing and alleviating human suffering and maintaining human dignity, as well as strengthening the capacities and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-stricken communities.

Supported actions : the European solidarity corps shall provide young people with easily accessible opportunities to engage in volunteering, traineeships or jobs in solidarity-related sectors , such as the social economy, and to devise and develop solidarity projects at their own initiative. It shall also support networking activities for its participants and organisations.

Participation : the European solidarity corps targets young people aged 18-30 , and participation in the activities offered by the European solidarity corps shall require prior registration in the European solidarity corps portal.

Any public or private entity established in a participating country as well as international organisations may apply for funding under the European solidarity corps. A quality label shall be obtained by the participating organisation as a pre-condition for receiving funding under the European solidarity corps.

Special attention shall be given to ensuring that the activities supported by the European solidarity corps are accessible to all young people, notably the most disadvantaged ones. Special measures shall be put in place to promote social inclusion, the participation of disadvantaged young people, as well as to take into account the constraints imposed by the remoteness of a number of rural areas and of the outermost regions of the Union and the Overseas Countries and Territories.

Proposed budget : in line with the Commission’s proposal for the multiannual financial framework, the programme shall have an overall budget of EUR 1.26 billion at current prices for the period 2021-2027.