The Parliament adopted the European Solidarity Corps programme, supporting volunteering activities for young people in the EU and beyond.

The 2021-2027 European Solidarity Corps, worth more than one billion euro, will be a significant upgrade in the value it provides for volunteers compared with previous iterations of the programme. The new Corps features improvements to the insurance policy and health and safety guarantees covered by the programme, as well as increased requirements for hosts to ensure a meaningful learning experience for participants.

It is also more inclusive than its predecessor: the Commission and member states will have to present plans to increase the participation of young people who have been exposed to structural disadvantages as compared to their peers and who could not take part in the programme in the past. A significant change to this end is that young people, and in particular those with fewer opportunities, will be able to volunteer in their own country. Additional financial support and support measures, such as general and language training, insurance, and administrative assistance, will be made available to better cater for the specific needs of those with fewer opportunities.

For more information, please visit the Council of the European Union’s website.

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