Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-06-11-Speech-1-160-000"
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"en.20120611.23.1-160-000"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the adoption of this resolution is very important because, until just a few months ago, volunteering was an object of mystery for the European Union. Even though it involved 100 million volunteers responsible for 5% of GDP, the sector did not actually appear to exist.
Then, despite a series of difficulties, we managed to dedicate last year, 2011, to volunteering and we all began to pick up on its excellent potential. Member States that did not have legislation on this issue have adopted legislation, others have updated theirs, many have increased the activities carried out by voluntary associations and, especially at a time of crisis like the one we are experiencing, have assigned an important role – a subsidiary role, as it is referred to – to the non-profit world.
We started off from this point to accentuate the role of volunteering in the European Union, as shown by the report we are debating this evening. We started off with an excellent communication from the Commission, whom I thank for their work, as I thank the shadow rapporteurs and officials of the groups and Parliament who helped me draw up the report.
What have we set out? First, a portal to tell citizens about the volunteering opportunities in various Member States and how to get involved. Next, use of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Manual on the Measurement of Volunteer Work and the United Nations Handbook on Non-Profit Institutions with a view to making available comparable statistics and data providing a clear picture of the significant contribution made by volunteering and of the needs of volunteers throughout the European Union.
We want to give volunteering a high profile in sport, particularly at the grassroots level. We would like to recognise the important contribution also made by volunteering to protecting the environment, and to support volunteering activities in environmental education, crisis prevention and management, as well as in defending artistic and cultural heritage.
We support the Commission’s proposal to establish a European Skills Passport, so that the skills acquired through volunteering may be officially recognised, both for professional and for learning purposes. A passport that should be a comprehensive document listing all practical experience, training and soft and vocational skills acquired through lifelong learning, including those gained through volunteering, if desired by the volunteer. We urge the Commission to put this European Skills Passport in place as soon as possible.
We also support the Commission’s proposal to create a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, which will increase the participation of volunteers in solidarity actions in the context of the humanitarian aid policy throughout the EU.
We wish to ensure adequate and stable funding and establish and simplify administrative procedures, including tax incentives, for the organisations involved in volunteering work, including associations and networks, particularly for small associations with limited resources, with a view to enhancing their roles, activities and achievements as they provide such benefits to society.
As Henry de Montherlant used to say, ‘Selfless acts are the stars of the earth’. Volunteering work has this capability. With its activity, provided free of charge, it can bring the stars onto our earth and plant them firmly into the soil. Our flag, Mr President, is made up of stars, which is why the EU must not fail to strengthen the voluntary sector and its world made up of great little everyday gestures."@en1
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