Europees Handvest van de rechten en verantwoordelijkheden van vrijwilligers (en)

Following wide consultations with stakeholders and volunteers themselves, a Charter on the Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers has been finalised recently by a working group set up in the framework of the Second Youth Convention on Volunteering which took place in September 2011. The Charter serves as an appeal to local, national and European authorities to adequately design and update policies relating to volunteering. The Charter gives also guidance on the rights and responsibilities that volunteers and volunteering providers should undertake.

The EU Parliament’s Education and Culture committee supports the new Charter, calling Member States among others to assess the need for a clear legal framework for volunteers and to draw up national strategies to promote the growth of volunteering activities.

Over 100 million people in Europe are volunteers and four out of five European citizens see volunteering as an important part of democratic life in Europe. Most European countries however lack a legal framework for safe and sustainable volunteering.

More information:

European Charter on the Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers

Draft Report on ‘Recognising and promoting cross-border voluntary activities in the EU', European Parliament, Committee on Culture and Education