Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the 2011 European Year of Volunteering.

Abstract

In accordance with the Decision establishing the European Year of Volunteering 20111, this report offers an overview of the implementation, results and overall achievements of the European Year, building on the conclusions of an external evaluation of the European Year2. In 2006, the European Commission consulted the European Economic and Social Committee on the future direction in the area of volunteering at the European level. One of the main recommendations of the European Economic and Social Committee's exploratory opinion on the role of voluntary activity in European society and its impact of December 2006 was "to announce a Year of Volunteers, and to publish a White Paper on voluntary activity and active citizenship in Europe at the earliest opportunity".3An alliance of NGOs supporting the idea of a European year of volunteering was set up and a civil society campaign aiming at the designation of 2011 as the European Year of Volunteering was launched. In 2008, the European Parliament adopted a declaration4supporting the call for a European Year of Volunteering 2011, and thus creating significant momentum and high expectations.