European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 1

Lessons learned from the European Lessons learned from the European Year of Volunteering 2011 Year of Volunteering 2011

--------------Preparations for the European Year of Preparations for the European Year of

Citizens 2013Citizens 2013

Research seminar “mobility of young people”Partnership Commission – Council of Europe in the

field of youth, Strasbourg, 12 December 2011Jutta König Georgiades

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 2

EYV 2011: What did we EYV 2011: What did we set out to do?set out to do?

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 3

Objective 1: Create an enabling Objective 1: Create an enabling environment for volunteeringenvironment for volunteering

BeforeBefore AfterAfter

Lower obstacles to volunteering

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 4

Objective 2: Objective 2: Empower Empower volunteer volunteer

organisationsorganisations

4

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Objective 3: Recognise Objective 3: Recognise volunteering activitiesvolunteering activities

5

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Objective 4: Raise awareness Objective 4: Raise awareness about value & importance of about value & importance of

volunteeringvolunteering

6

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 7

Commission’s Budget for the YearCommission’s Budget for the Year

€ € 3 million3 million for Preparatory Actions in 2010for Preparatory Actions in 2010

€ € 88 million million for the Year itselffor the Year itself

+ other sources…+ other sources…

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 8

We needed to We needed to build up build up

momentum for momentum for change…change…

…but how?

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European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 9

We learned 5 lessonsWe learned 5 lessons

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Lesson 1Lesson 1

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We need good cooperation with the We need good cooperation with the Member StatesMember States

EYV2011 had the ‘luxury’ of National Coordination Bodies, which —

developed national action plans

organized national EYV events

were a useful ‘one-stop shop’ for national volunteering issues

European Commission

Lesson 2Lesson 2

12

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 13

It is good to have a representative It is good to have a representative stakeholder bodystakeholder body

We had the ‘EYV2011 Alliance’, which —

is 39 EU-wide volunteering networks (such as Caritas, European Red Cross, etc.)

is the voice of the volunteering sector

formed six working groups for policy debate – results will be presented to Commission

was formed in December 2007 expressly to have 2011 declared EYV

European Commission

Lesson 3Lesson 3

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It is vital to use existing networksIt is vital to use existing networks

We benefitted from channels such as:

Commission Representation Offices

European Parliament Offices

Europe Direct relays

EYV Alliance member organisations

Member States’ National Coordination Bodies

European Commission

Lesson 4Lesson 4

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The activities must be supported by The activities must be supported by a communication campaigna communication campaign We used a variety of different tools to get our

messages across:

Multilingual website: www.europa.eu/volunteering Lively: six news items a day

EU-level thematic conferences

EYV ‘Tour’, plus posters & promo items

EYV ‘Relay Reporters’

Downloadable logo & slogan, in all languages

Press and A/V media resources

European Commission

Lesson 5Lesson 5

18

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 19

EU-level policy initiatives help EU-level policy initiatives help ensure a legacy for years to comeensure a legacy for years to come

We had We had two major political milestones two major political milestones during during 2011:2011:

Commission CommunicationCommission Communication on EU Policies and on EU Policies and VolunteeringVolunteering(20 September 2011)(20 September 2011)

Council ConclusionsCouncil Conclusionson ‘the role of voluntary activities in social policy’ on ‘the role of voluntary activities in social policy’

(3 October 2011)(3 October 2011)

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 20

Thematically-linked European Thematically-linked European Years help keep the ball rolling!Years help keep the ball rolling!

2010: EY against Poverty and Social 2010: EY against Poverty and Social ExclusionExclusion

2011: EY of Volunteering2011: EY of Volunteering 2012: EY of Active Ageing & Inter-2012: EY of Active Ageing & Inter-

generational solidaritygenerational solidarity 2013: EY of the Citizen (to be confirmed)2013: EY of the Citizen (to be confirmed)

Volunteers are important Volunteers are important in all these areas! in all these areas!

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 21

EYC 2013: ContextEYC 2013: Context

Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU): Union (TFEU): “Union citizenship is conferred “Union citizenship is conferred automatically upon all Member States' nationals”automatically upon all Member States' nationals”

Rights:Rights:

1.1. right to move and reside freely within the territory of other right to move and reside freely within the territory of other Member States than the one of which they are nationals.Member States than the one of which they are nationals.

2.2. right to vote and stand as a candidate in the European right to vote and stand as a candidate in the European parliament and municipal electionsparliament and municipal elections

3.3. right to be protected by the diplomatic and consular right to be protected by the diplomatic and consular authorities of any other EU countryauthorities of any other EU country

4.4. right to petition the European Parliament and complain to right to petition the European Parliament and complain to the European ombudsmanthe European ombudsman

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 22

Launch of the next generation of

“Europe for Citizens”program

2012 European Year of Active

Ageing and Intergeneration

al Solidarity

Political Guidelines

for this Commission

Link between civic

participation and policy-

making

Interdependence of political

commitment and rights

Run-up to 2014 European elections

2013 European Year of Citizens

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 23

Financial and Legal Framework Financial and Legal Framework

Legal Basis: Art. 21 (2) TFEU

Budget: 2012: € 0.750 m2013: € 1.000 m

Broad cooperation under the common EY label: EU Institutions, civil society, REPs, Europe Direct Network …

European Commission – Directorate-General Communication 24

Rationale and Actions Rationale and Actions

Union citizens’ rights and civic

participation

AVs on rights and participation

Mobilizing events

Thematic seminars

2013 European Year of Citizens

… and: initiatives promoted by strategic partners with their

resources