Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2012)514 - European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps - EU Aid Volunteers - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2012)514 - European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps - EU Aid Volunteers. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2012)514  |
| date | 19-09-2012 |
As envisaged in Article 214 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), this proposal establishes the framework for the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, which should enable joint contributions from European volunteers in humanitarian aid operations. Its objective is to express the Union's humanitarian values and solidarity with people in need, through the promotion of an effective and visible European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, which contributes to strengthening the Union's capacity to respond to humanitarian crises and to building the capacity and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities in third countries.
The Union has to ensure adequate humanitarian aid in the face of the increased number and magnitude of humanitarian crises, both natural disasters and man-made crises. Well-prepared volunteers can contribute to the Union's capacity to cope with these additional humanitarian needs.
Improving the mobilisation of the volunteering capacity of European citizens can also project a positive image of the Union in the world and foster interest for pan-European projects in support of humanitarian aid activities. While volunteering is on the rise for many activities, there is still a significant potential of further developing solidarity among Union citizens with people in third countries who are victims of man-made crises or natural disasters. European citizens consider humanitarian aid to be the sector where volunteering has the biggest impact and the establishment of a European Humanitarian Voluntary Aid Corps enjoys considerable support amongst them. A large majority of European citizens have also expressed overwhelming support for the Union's activities in providing humanitarian aid. However, there is a need to further promote communication with the Union's citizens to raise levels of awareness about the Union's humanitarian aid and its visibility.
The proposal builds on the 2010 Communication "How to express EU citizens’ solidarity through volunteering: First reflections on a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps".The Communication presents the guiding principles, gaps and necessary conditions to make a positive contribution to Union humanitarian aid. To test some of the possible features of the scheme, a series of pilot projects have been launched, lessons learnt from which are taken into account in this proposal.
The Council and the European Parliament have expressed strong support for the initiative, reaffirming the key role of the Union in promoting volunteering and identifying some of the key components of the Corps.
The proposal would contribute to the objectives of the Union's external policy and, in particular, the Union's humanitarian aid objectives to preserve life, prevent and alleviate human suffering and maintain human dignity. It would reinforce the benefits delivered to the hosting communities in third countries and the impact that the volunteer activities have on the volunteers themselves. Furthermore, the training and informal learning experience volunteers will acquire is a strong investment in human capital which would improve their employability in global economy and thus contribute to the Europe's 2020 objectives for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Particular attention has been given to ensuring close coordination between the actions of the Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps with the Union's humanitarian aid policy and actions carried out under the EU external policies, in particular in the field of development cooperation. The Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, whilst centred on the objectives of the Union's humanitarian aid, should also contribute to a range of other Union internal policies such as learning, youth and active citizenship.
The Humanitarian Voluntary Corps will fill gaps which are not covered by existing European programmes such as the European Voluntary Service. Indeed, the European Voluntary Service's activities take place primarily within Europe, are focused on the promotion of young people up to 30 years old to enhance social cohesion and mutual understanding within the Union, and are not based on humanitarian principles. The objectives of the Humanitarian Voluntary Corps, its scope and activities correspond to the specific needs of humanitarian activities and operations.
Contents
- RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT
- LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL
- BUDGETARY IMPLICATION
- Grounds for and objectives of the proposal
- Consistency with other policies and objectives of the Union
- Impact assessment
- Legal basis
- Subsidiarity principle
- Proportionality principle332
- Choice of instrument
Since the first tabling of the proposal for a Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps in the draft EU Constitutional Treaty, two external reviews in 2006 and 2010 and a series of consultations with a broad range of stakeholders were carried out in order to assess the current situation in humanitarian aid volunteering, highlight existing gaps and challenges, and identify objectives and priorities areas for action.
Interested stakeholders, including the main humanitarian aid organisations (NGOs, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Family, UN agencies), mainstream volunteer organisations, individual volunteers, Member States' representatives and other relevant actors were specifically consulted at two dedicated conferences and through a public on-line consultation. Different issues related to the Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps have been discussed in addition by the Member States within the Council working party on humanitarian aid and food aid. Consultations also included an online public forum on a suitable name of the Corps. A thorough analysis lead to the choice of EU Aid Volunteers as an appropriate name for the initiative and shall be hereinafter used to refer to both the initiative and to the individual volunteers who will be deployed to humanitarian operations.
An impact assessment report was prepared to examine policy options and their potential impacts. This process was accompanied by an Impact Assessment Steering Group involving relevant Commission services[7] and benefitted from input of an external preparatory study. Lessons learnt and conclusions from two seminars organised with pilot project coordinators were taken into account[8].
All comments by stakeholders were fully considered and are reflected in the impact assessment report.
The main problems identified are:
Lack of a structured EU approach towards volunteering;
Poor visibility of EU humanitarian action and solidarity with people in need;
Lack of consistent identification and selection mechanisms across Member States;
Insufficient availability of qualified volunteers for humanitarian aid;
Shortcomings in the surge capacity of humanitarian aid;
Weak capacity of hosting organisations;
The impact assessment examined a number of policy options resulting from the combination of different modules and mode of management:
Policy Option 1, including: Development of standards for identification, selection and training of volunteers and Development of certification mechanism for sending organisations;
Policy Option 2, including the modules under Option 1 plus Support to training for EU volunteers in humanitarian aid, Creation of an EU Register of trained volunteers, Development of standards and a certification mechanism for volunteer management in hosting organisations;
Policy Option 3, including all modules under Option 2 plus Support to deployment of EU volunteers, (7) Building capacity in third country hosting organisations, (8) Establishment of an EU Network of humanitarian volunteers. This Option would be implemented in partnership with humanitarian aid organisations which should identify, select and deploy the volunteers.
Policy Option 4, including all modules under Option 3 implemented in a direct management mode by the European Commission.
Based on this assessment of the potential economic, social and environmental impacts, Policy Option 3 was recommended as the most efficient and effective option for adressing the problems identified.
This proposal lays down the procedures and the rules for the operation of the EU Aid Volunteers as envisaged in Article 214 of the Treaty. It follows an enabling approach and is limited to the essential elements necessary for the implementation of the Regulation, including specifying its general and operational objectives, the principles and the actions of which it consists, the provisions for financial assistance and the general provisions for its implementation.
The proposal follows the humanitarian aid principles (Art.
4) and the definition of humanitarian aid from the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid[9]. In addition to crisis response it also covers disaster prevention, preparedness and recovery operations as well as humanitarian aid activities which aim to increase the capacities of the communities and build their resilience to crises.
The main elements of the proposal concern the different actions of the EU Aid Volunteers which can be supported with financial assistance and implemented by different beneficiaries based on a Commission annual work programme (Art. 21). In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No. 58/2003[10], the Commission has the intention to delegate the programme management to an executive agency.
The proposal specifies the following types of actions:
– Standards regarding candidate and EU Aid Volunteers (Art.
9)
The Commission will develop standards which will set the policy framework and minimum requirements to ensure effective, efficient and coherent recruitment and preparation of candidate volunteers and deployment and management of EU Aid Volunteers which are the main actions of this initiative. The standards will ensure duty of care and cover notably responsibilities of the sending and hosting organisations, minimum requirements on the coverage of subsistence, accommodation and other relevant expenses, insurance coverage and other relevant elements.
– Certification (Art. 10)
Sending organisations that would like to select, prepare and deploy EU Aid Volunteers will have to be certified for compliance with these standards. They should meet different eligibility requirements and follow a differentiated certification procedure (to be defined in implementing acts), taking into account their nature and capacity (e.g. Member States' public bodies, NGOs). Civil protection and development cooperation actors acting in the field of humanitarian aid shall also be considered eligible. A differentiated certification mechanism will be established for eligible hosting organisations.Although private companies are not eligible as sending or hosting organisations, they can be associated to the projects and co-finance part of the costs of the volunteer to encourage corporate volunteering as called for in Communication 'A renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility'[11].
– Identification and selection of candidate volunteers (Art. 11)
The EU Aid Volunteers are open for participation to Union citizens as well as nationals legally residing in the EU on a long term basis. Subject to agreements as referred to in Article 23, citizens from candidate and potential candidate countries and from partner countries from the European Neighbourhood Policy may apply to become EU Aid Volunteers.
On the basis of an annual work programme, the Commission will publish calls for proposals for the identification and selection of candidate volunteers by certified sending organisations. Sending organisations that have been awarded the contracts in response to these calls will identify and select candidate volunteers for training after prior assessment of the needs in third countries by sending or hosting organisations or other relevant actors.
– Training and pre-deployment preparation (Art. 12)
The selected candidate volunteers will undergo tailor-made training, taking into account their prior experience. The training programme will be organised by the Commission and will be implemented by organisations with specific training expertise. In addition, as part of their training and depending on their training needs, candidate volunteers will be able to gain practical experience through apprenticeship placements or other forms of short term pre-deployment preparation given by certified sending organisations.
– Register of EU Aid Volunteers (Art. 13)
Candidate volunteers should be assessed for their preparedness to be deployed in third countries. If successful, they should be included in a Register of EU Aid Volunteers eligible for deployment which will be managed by the Commission. The Register will also include volunteers who have already been deployed, if they are willing to be considered for future deployment.
– Deployment of EU Aid Volunteers in third countries (Art. 14)
On the basis of its annual work programme, the Commission will publish calls for proposals for the deployment of EU Aid Volunteers by certified sending organisations. Sending organisations that have been awarded the contracts in response to these calls can select volunteers from the Register and deploy them to hosting organisations. The Commission may also deploy volunteers from the Register to the Commission’s humanitarian aid field offices or in response operations in third countries through the Emergency Response Centre[12] that facilitates the Union response to disasters. The specific terms of deployment will be set-out in a contract between the sending organisation and the volunteer.
– Capacity building of hosting organisations (Art. 15)
Through this action, the Commission can support capacity building actions of the hosting organisations so as to ensure effective management of the EU Aid Volunteers and sustainable impact of their work, including the promotion of local volunteering.
– EU Aid Volunteers' Network (Art. 16)
This action envisages the establishment of an EU Aid Volunteers' Network which will be managed by the Commission. It will consist of and facilitate interaction between the EU Aid Volunteers and will also carry out specific activities, notably through knowledge sharing and dissemination of information. It shall also support activities such as seminars, workshops and alumni activities.
– Communication, awareness raising and visibility (Art. 17)
This action will support public information, communication and awareness raising actions to promote the EU Aid Volunteers and to encourage volunteering in humanitarian aid. The Commission will develop an information and communication action plan, which will be implemented by all beneficiaries, in particular sending and hosting organisations.
The Commission is empowered to adopt modalities of some of the actions through delegated acts (as foreseen in Art. 25) on standards and amending indicators for operational objectives; or through implementing acts (Art. 24) including the certification mechanism and modalities of the training programme).
The legal basis of this proposal is Article 214 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
As the establishment of the EU Aid Volunteers by the Union is envisaged in a specific legal basis in the Treaty, the subsidiarity principle does not apply.
The proposal addresses identified gaps in existing volunteering schemes and does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives.
The administrative burden falling upon the Union is limited and ensures the conditions necessary for the deployment of volunteers in humanitarian aid operations, including the development of standards, certification mechanism, a training programme and a Register of trained volunteers. The main actions concerning the EU Aid Volunteers related to the identifiation, selection, preparation and deployment of volunteers will be decentralised and implemented by sending and hosting organisations. The Commission has furthermore the intention to delegate the programme management to an executive agency.
Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council
The Commission's Communication on a Budget for Europe 2020[13] envisages budgetary commitments for the establishment of the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps (EU Aid Volunteers) of EUR 239.1 million in current prices.