Viviane Reding BBE-Europa-Nachrichten 1/2011

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1 Viviane Reding BBE-Europa-Nachrichten 1/2011 Volunteer make a difference! Speech by Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship EU-level thematic conference for the European Year of Volunteering 2011: Recognising the contribution of volunteering to economy, society and the individual where are we now, and where do we want to go? Budapest, 8 January 2011 Ladies and Gentlemen, The European Year of Volunteering 2011: it is about people it is about Europe it is about political commitment and engagement. Every day, every hour, every minute someone gives a helping hand. We see it in our youth clubs and our hospitals, in our schools and on our playing fields. From town halls to sports halls, from maternity units to retirement homes: people help each other people volunteer volunteers are all around us. This is about people, but not a selected few people. It is not about a reduced number of philanthropists. This is about more than 1 in every 5 EU citizens this is about 100 million people do voluntary work! Take a look around you. Here in Hungary, one of five people say they are volunteers. Probably the most obvious example to mention here is the response to the sludge disaster last October. Volunteers have had an important role in the post-disaster relief and recovery operations. Not only has the Hungarian Red Cross managed to raise over half a million Euros for the disaster relief, there are continuously 20 to 30 volunteers working for the Red Cross in the affected area every day. In and around the town of Ajka, several local businesses have been involved in the recovery efforts. For example, one of the local taxi companies provides logistical support. This is proof that in a situation of national distress, people are capable of working together and of sharing their knowledge and expertise to respond to a common endeavour. The role of volunteers becomes more important than ever.

2 Among the many examples, you do not have to look too hard before the situation gets more complicated. Take the Kincskeresés (Cultural Treasure Hunt) based here in Hungary. This project supported by the European Commission involves young people from Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia learning about each others' cultures through a variety of cultural exchange activities. But what happens if something goes wrong? How does insurance work across borders? What happens if one of the visitors gets sick? Similarly in my own country, Luxembourg, volunteering activities also operate across borders. For example, 'Orientation Volontariat' helps new graduates to undertake six months of voluntary work to determine what they are interested in and which career path they would like to follow. What happens if they have an accident? What are the barriers which the organisers face as a charity? It is examples like this which inspire me as European Commissioner. What would life be like without the thousands of volunteering organisations? Where would we be without our millions of volunteers? This is part of our social fabric, of the cement uniting our societies linking those who have more and those who have less and bridging the gap between generations. Volunteering is as an integral part of the European citizenship agenda. On 27 October last year, the European Commission adopted the first-ever EU Citizenship Report. My aim is to make life easier for people. This means tourists and people living abroad, consumers, couples, students or workers. It is about making EU citizens lives easier when exercising their rights in another EU country such as getting married, buying a house or registering a car. The citizenship report includes 25 measures which the Commission plans to take in the next three years. The European Year of volunteering has great significance beyond our borders as well. Let's remember that volunteering is a global phenomenon. The EU itself acknowledged this with the recent adoption of a proposal to set up a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps. This will allow European volunteers to contribute to the humanitarian effort that benefits thousands, and to the organisations delivering it. Volunteering is a creator of human and social capital. It is a pathway to integration and employment, and a key factor for improving social cohesion. It is a central element of European citizenship. Volunteers contribute to shaping European society. And they are a strong expression of solidarity. Volunteers, regardless of their income, available time, age, and skills, help to give other people a chance to live their lives better and contribute to bridging the gaps. This is particularly important in the current economic and social climate. 2

3 So again the European Year of Volunteering is about people and it is about Europe. And it should also be about political will. The reason for this is simple: there are a lot of barriers we need to break down. Let me mention three areas where we need new good politics to change obstacles into opportunities: 1. the lack of a legal framework: Almost one in five of the Member States do not have clear rules for volunteers and volunteering. This leads to uncertainty, costly red tape and even contradictory interpretations. There are examples of tax offices deciding on a case by case basis whether non-profit activities are subject to VAT or not. Not to mention problems with social protection and insurance. We need renewed political engagement to change this. 2. legal constraints: In some Member States unemployed people or those on early retirement are severely restricted in the hours they can devote to voluntary work. In Denmark, for example, regulations limit volunteers on benefit to just 4 hours a week. These people have time and experience on their hands. But restrictive laws prevent them from volunteering. A recent study undertaken by the Commission identifies 3 other countries where such laws exist: the Netherlands where volunteering by the unemployed is only permitted outside working hours; Belgium, where people on benefits under the age of 55 are not allowed to volunteer more than 28 hours a week; and Sweden, where people can lose their benefits if their voluntary activity is considered equal in effort to paid employment. The European Year of Volunteering is not only a call for new volunteers. It is a call for Europe to help volunteering. And it is also a strong call to politicians at local, regional, national and European level to do their part and where necessary enable the rules and regulations to make it possible for people to "make a difference". "Everything we do is for the citizens of Europe", President Barroso said in his State of the Union address to the European Parliament in September What matters is what the EU delivers to the people what difference the EU makes in day-to-day life. The European Year of Volunteering is about people, and it is about Europe, and it is about political will. There are countless people in need of it and appreciating it. There are 100 million people doing it. There is one definition of it: volunteering. There is one description of it: solidarity. There is one way forward: in 2011, we make a difference. 3

4 We see how volunteers change people's lives. This is not just about natural disasters such as the terrible floods all across Europe in the last couple of years and the recent humanitarian crises in Haiti and Pakistan. It is also brought into sharp focus by the economic recession, with rising unemployment, cutbacks in training, education and culture all these events remind us almost daily of the priceless contribution of volunteers to keeping our societies afloat. The Commission has long acknowledged the significance of voluntary organisations in making it possible for people to give something back to their communities and in providing opportunities for citizen participation in a broader European context will be a year for awareness-raising and focussed action. I can summarise it in four main objectives: 1. to create a fertile ground and an enabling environment for voluntary activities: we must ensure that ideas, big or small can flourish, that passion and commitment is not strangled by red tape, that precious time is not eroded in administrative bottlenecks. In short: we need a single market for volunteering. 2. to empower those who want to contribute to building a better society: we need to encourage exchange of best practice both within and between Member States. We need also to stimulate a dialogue between stakeholders, from NGOs to the corporate sector. In short: we need to inspire across borders. 3. to recognise and reward the unsung heroes of our time: with partners and stakeholders, we should make sure that all this amazing work does not go unnoticed. We should aim for formal recognition of skills and competences gained through volunteering. In short: we need to give credit where credit is due. 4. to underscore the significance of volunteering and galvanise a new generation of volunteers: we need to find ways to channel the energy of the 'can do' generation into activities that can be as rewarding for them as for the rest of society. We must clearly spell out the human and financial value of volunteering to the economy, to society and to the individual. In short: we need to value volunteering. This might sound like a tall order and it is but 2011 is the year when we will take things forward. Volunteering has been going on for a long time. So what difference does a year make? What results do we expect to see when 2011 and the European Year of Volunteering comes to an end? 4

5 First of all, the European Year of Volunteering 2011 is not "a one year one off". We will use this year as a platform for broadening and deepening the outreach, content and quality of volunteering. Nevertheless, by the end of this year we envisage that volunteers all over Europe will have seen and learnt what is done best in each European country. This is all about improving the possibilities and conditions for those who already volunteer. But we must not forget the 400 million who do not One reason is lack of knowledge. An answer to that is, of course, information to tell citizens, public authorities, organisations and business about what they can do, about the steps they can take, about where and how much they can give and why giving and volunteering is so important. They will learn more about volunteering..and they will know how to make it easier for people to make their contribution. Based on these experiences we will be able to see how the European policy agenda impacts on volunteering. Where are the discrepancies between Member States' rules, regulations and practices? How can we co-ordinate better at European level? By the end of 2011, I hope that the report from the European Year of Volunteering will set out the key problems and potential solutions. Ladies and Gentlemen, I close by asking: where would we be what would Europe be without all the helping hands of our volunteers? Not only do they put in time and effort into helping others, but they face obstacles and challenges as well. During this European Year of Volunteering we will reduce those obstacles and meet those challenges. We will not only make volunteering more attractive and accessible, but we will recognise and honour all those millions of European citizens who really embody the kind of change they want to see in the world. In hospitals or in pensioners' homes, in disaster areas or in training events, we owe it to volunteers to do our part; to make their lives easier, just as they make the lives of so many others easier and better to give people a chance to live their dreams. Let them be our examples to follow is the European Year of Volunteering. We all have the capacity to volunteer and with our small actions do great things for many around us. It is time to make a difference! Thank you. 5

Public consultation on a European Labour Authority and a European Social Security Number

Public consultation on a European Labour Authority and a European Social Security Number 1. About you You are replying: As an individual In your professional capacity (including self-employed) or on behalf