During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (17-20 May 2021), MEPs debate on the European Solidarity Corps Programme: opening statements by Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), rapporteur and by Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

ŠOJDROVÁ, Michaela (EPP, CZ)

GABRIEL, Mariya (EPP, BG, EC)

european solidarity corps (T)

European Solidarity Corps Programme: opening statements by Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), rapporteur and by Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Education and Youth

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela &Scaron;OJDROV&Aacute; (EPP, CZ), President, dear commissioner, dear colleagues. Last but not least, today I am honoured to be rapporteur for the European Solidarity Corps programme is the flagship EU programme for volunteering and volunteering is a true form of solidarity. We know that financial support to the volunteering pays off to the society.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), For every single hour spent, volunteers are able to multiply it ten times or more. So their voluntary work allow me to present this programme and its development. The European Solidarity Corps succeeded the European Voluntary Service Programme, which was a part of Erasmus plus for 20 years until 2017. Then the programme went through a year to a three year pilot parrot and was transformed with the new title European Solidarity Corps and New Activities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), Of course, the last years of this period 2020 was highlighted by the pandemic. However, despite this crisis, we have managed to complete a divorc programme in close cooperation with many organisations, stakeholders on EU and a national level. They were motivated by good experience with the pilot phase until 2020, during which almost 50000 participants in the programme participated.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), So now we are going to approve the trialogue agreement about the European Solidarity Corps programme for 2021 to 2027. The main objective of this programme is to enhance the engagement of young people and organisations in solidarity activities, mainly volunteering the participants who will have an opportunity to gain experience in volunteering and to start a continuous engagement as active citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), New participation for the next seven years is expected to be up to 350000 participants from 18 to 30 years. For humanitarian assistance we negotiated age limit of thirty five years and possibility to engage expert and coaches without age limit. We acknowledged the specific character of humanitarian activities and to demand of direct committee and humanitarian organisations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), The programme will be implemented within two strengths: solidarity activity and humanitarian aid. In four actions: volunteering, solidarity projects, networking and measures for quality and support. The programme will also be available to third countries, for example, to members of the European Economic Area or to candidate countries.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), Allow me to summarise our priorities, which we renegotiated in trialogue. We established volunteering as a main activity. We introduced the indicative repartition of budget to four activities: volunteering and solidarity projects 94 percent, humanitarian volunteering, six percent. We maintained a clear focus on mobility and European added value. We kept in country activities at 20 percent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), We included governance guarantee by limiting the commission's possibility to deviate from defined activities. We elaborated on better accessibility and on inclusion. We enhanced safety and protection of participants to better insurance and requirements for working with vulnerable groups and so precise quality labour requirements for organisations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), We agreed with the budget, according to the MFF deal of 1.009 billion euro. It's a good basis for the development of this new programme. The implementation of the programme has just started, which is possible thanks to the retroactive class first course were launched in April. I would like to thank the Commission for this rapid implementation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), However, we are aware of some challenges, so let me use this opportunity to briefly raise two issues. There is a persistent problem with the IT tools. It's not new, but it's urgent for the Commission to fix the problem. The second one is our kind of mind to the Commission not to forget the possibility to launch the central grants for European umbrella organisations. Excuse me, I had to mention all these details, because they are important for participants, but in the end, I would like to express gratitude for what we have achieved together.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), I would like to thank to all shadow rapporteurs, also to our good committee chair, Sabine Verheyen, to DEVE rapporteur, Mrs Berta Kempa. And of course, good advisers, the Council presidency and the Commission, especially the commissioner Gabriel.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), I'm looking forward to good cooperation in order to develop its programme and to meet the expectations of the beneficiaries. So new stage of the programme is coming. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Education and Youth, Thank you very much indeed, President. Madam Rapporteur, Mrs Sojdrova, ladies and gentlemen, members of Parliament. Solidarity amongst European citizens and member states and across partners partners is an absolutely fundamental cornerstone of the European project. The current crisis has shown us if we needed any evidence that we are stronger together and united. And so the Solidarity Fund gives us this opportunity and the Solidarity Corps will give many opportunities to young people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), Volunteering is at the heart of the programme. It will mobilise young people and give them opportunities to play a valuable role in society and to deliver real change. So the Solidarity Corps gives young people an opportunity both within Europe and beyond, to use a single window access point to determine what they would like to do and where. Michelet and Weber and the other members of the team have played an extraordinarily valuable role.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), The whole cultural committee, I'd have to say, is an essential partner in delivering this shared vision that we have for this programme, we want to offer many opportunities to young people who will be able to enrich their lives and indeed those of those that they help in very many different ways. So, so many people will benefit from these programmes, particularly people with fewer opportunities and who are more disadvantaged.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), There are many opportunities of a clearly defined nature and others which are as yet. In the pipeline, which will allow us to have ecological, environmentally friendly, digital and inclusive programme, young people will be able to volunteer in humanitarian assistance projects, for example, as well as the four strands of action programmes.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), The programme will be flexible enough to have new developments incorporated on an annual basis or, for example, an emergency basis, as would have been the case with health this year. So we hope that we will encourage young people to participate more extensively in society and encourage them to obtain apprenticeships to develop soft skills as well as more formal skills, and to give them additional skills which will equip them that much better for the labour market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), So we hope to have a great appeal to young people who are keen to get back out there after the pandemic and explore the world that is there are waiting. We have over a billion euros, 50 percent more than the initial programme. So the European solidarity should enable 270000 young people to make a contribution to meeting some major social challenges or indeed to set up their own solidarity projects, including humanitarian assistance projects, wherever around the world they might wish to do this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), I have every confidence in this programme, and particularly importantly, in its future potential. It will be absolutely vital to young people and it is essential for them that we keep building on this very valuable initiative. We owe them a lot for the contribution that they have made throughout the pandemic.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), And we want to ensure that the full potential of the Solidarity Corps is there for them and that it becomes another flagship programme in parallel with Erasmus programme for young people. On the 15th of April last month, that is to say, we launched the first call for proposals for projects and we focussed particularly on projects in the area of health.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), And we hope that we will get a lot of people coming forward to help us and our shared efforts to tackle the pandemic and the effects thereof, young people have shown a huge amount of solidarity throughout the pandemic, and there are many opportunities now for them to show once again how they can share their passion, their time, their commitment and what they love with many others.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ (EPP, CZ), So thank you very much indeed for your support. And I can assure you, Madam Rapporteur, that I've taken very good note of all the questions and aspects that you raised during your speech. And we will resolve them so that the benefits of European society can be that much greater. Thank you.