European authorities have reached a political agreement on a proposal to provide the European Solidarity Corps with a dedicated budget and legal framework.
The European Parliament and Council of the European Union have reached a political agreement on the European Commission’s proposal for the European Solidarity Corps, which was raised in May 2017 following consultations with relevant stakeholders, and would apply until 2020, at which time the corps will be allocated a €1.26bn budget for the period 2021-2027 under the next EU multiannual financial framework.
The commission’s proposal would give the European Solidarity Corps its own legal base and financing mechanism through a dedicated budget, and would broaden the solidarity activities it undertakes with the aim of increasing the coherence, impact and cost-effectiveness of the corps’ efforts. The European Parliament will now vote on the agreement, and once the council formally adopts the text the commission can begin awarding projects.
How has the commission responded to the political agreement?
Following the announcement of the political agreement, European Commissioners Günther Oettinger, Marianne Thyssen, and Tibor Navracsics released a joint statement welcoming the progress that has been made on expanding the capabilities of the corps.
The commissioners described solidarity as “one of [the] fundamental values connecting European citizens,” and welcomed the way that the corps offers opportunities for young people to participate in society. They said: “The Solidarity Corps is a key part of our efforts to empower young people and enable them to become engaged, caring members of our society, playing their part in building a resilient, cohesive Europe for the future.”
For this reason, Thyssen, Oettinger and Navracsics believe that the creation of a separate legal framework for the solidarity corps and the allocation of a dedicated budget will improve its capacity to serve European citizens everywhere.
The commissioners added: “The European Solidarity Corps is already making a difference… [and] today’s agreement will enable us to increase the opportunities available and provide more help across Europe. It will also pave the way for the additional 350,000 placements we want to offer under the proposal for the next long-term EU budget.”
