Commission welcomes political agreement on European Solidarity Corps

Today, the Commission has welcomed the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the new European Solidarity Corps (2021‑2027). Trilogue negotiations have now concluded, pending the final approval of the legal texts by the European Parliament and the Council.

Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, responsible for Promoting our European Way of Life, commented: “Today’s agreement on the European Solidarity Corps is a strong message to our youth, their spirit of solidarity, responsibility and citizenship. Young Europeans are the best ambassadors of our European Way of Life, of our values and of our achievements; working tirelessly for a more generous world.”

Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel said: “I welcome the political agreement on the new European Solidarity Corps programme. We will now be able to offer thousands of young people the opportunity to help communities in need, express solidarity and contribute to the recovery of our societies, while gaining valuable skills and furthering their own personal development.”

The European Solidarity Corps offers young people, between the ages of 18 and 30 (35 for the humanitarian aid strand), the opportunity to express their solidarity by taking part in activities ranging from helping disadvantaged people to contributing to health and environmental actions, across the EU and beyond. So far, 275,000 young people have joined the European Solidarity Corps, and some 50,000 participants have started their activities.

With a dedicated budget of €1.009 billion for 2021-2027, the new programme will offer opportunities to at least 270,000 young people to help address societal and humanitarian challenges through volunteering or by setting up their own solidarity projects. The programme’s ambition is not only to be more inclusive, but also more digital and greener. For the first time, and building on the previous EU Aid Volunteers, the programme will also allow young people to volunteer in the humanitarian aid field far beyond European borders. Organisations can rely on support for capacity building and experts. Among a series of quality and support measures, the revamped EU Youth Portal hosts a new online training section for young people registered for the European Solidarity Corps to explore their motivation, improve their skills and knowledge and prepare for participation.

Next steps

On 10 November 2020, a political agreement was reached between the European Parliament, EU Member States in the Council as well as the Commission on the next long-term EU budget and NextGenerationEU. As a next step, the legal adoption of the MFF package along with the ratification of the Own Resources Decision is now urgently needed.

Once adopted, the EU’s long-term budget, coupled with the NextGenerationEU initiative, which is a temporary instrument designed to drive the recovery of Europe, will be the largest stimulus package ever financed through the EU budget. A total of €1.8 trillion* will help rebuild a post-COVID-19 Europe. It will be a greener, more digital and more resilient Europe.

*in 2018 prices