European Solidarity Corps: Council agrees its position
On 26 November 2018 the Council agreed its position (partial general approach) on the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) for 2021-2027. Over the course of the next financial period, the ESC should provide opportunities for hundreds of thousands of young people to engage in solidarity activities across Europe either by volunteering or in the form of jobs and traineeships for the benefit of society. These include activities such as helping children and the elderly, assisting in centres for asylum seekers or helping to prevent natural disasters or rebuild afterwards.
Young people are eager to show their solidarity with others and enthusiastic about learning new skills. The European Solidarity Corps provides young Europeans with opportunities to use their energy helping people in need, while at the same time enabling them to acquire valuable professional experience and enhance their personal development.
Juliane Bogner-Strauss, Federal Minister for Women, Families and Youth of Austria
Today's agreement does not cover the budgetary aspects of the draft regulation, since the final amounts will depend on the agreement reached on the next multiannual financial framework. The European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027 is expected to be a stand-alone programme, separate from the budget for Erasmus and other EU programmes.
Main elements of ESC
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-Interested 17-30 years olds can register on the ESC portal. Once registered and provided they are at least 18 years old, they may be invited to participate in projects by registered organisations. They can also look for vacancies posted by organisations on the portal
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-The activities proposed include volunteering, traineeships, jobs and youth-led solidarity projects
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-The European Solidarity Corps takes into account the special needs of young people with fewer opportunities by reserving a part of the budget for domestic activities
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-By incorporating the European Voluntary Service, the scope of the programme is extended to non-EU countries, in particular to countries neighbouring the EU’s outermost regions
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-By integrating the former separate EU Aid Volunteers initiative into the European Solidarity Corps, a new field of action was created for the ESC, namely the support of humanitarian aid activities in third countries. This leads to additional organizational synergies and cost savings
Background
The ESC was announced by Commission President Juncker in his September 2016 State of Union speech. Phase one was launched in December 2016, followed by Phase 2 for 2018-2020. On 11 June 2018 the European Commission proposed a further programme for Phase 3 of the ESC covering the years 2021-2027.
Next steps
The agreement reached by the Council will serve as basis for the future negotiations with the European Parliament. The decision on the budget for ESC for 2021-2027 will depend on the agreement on the next MFF.