The European Union supports non-formal education opportunities for young people through transnational voluntary service which directly and actively involves young people in activities designed to meet the needs of society in a wide range of fields.

The aim of the European Voluntary Service action is based on three fundamental principles:

• To provide a non-formal intercultural learning experience for young people, encouraging their social integration and active participation, improving their employability and giving them opportunities to show solidarity with other people.

• To support the development of local communities.

• To encourage the establishing of new partnerships and the exchange of experience and good practice between the partners.

The YOUTH programme also recognises the value of existing partnerships that have been built up between organisations over the years and have made crucial contributions to the success of voluntary activities.

An EVS project allows a young person to be a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 6 and 12 months. Voluntary service activities can take place, for example, in the field of the environment, arts and culture, activities with children, young people or the elderly, heritage, or sports and leisure.

Volunteers will participate in activities that comply with the following general principles. Activities must:

• take place in a country other than where the volunteer lives,

• be non-profit-making and unpaid,

• be planned, implemented and followed up jointly in a spirit of partnership between the volunteer, the sending and the host organisations,

• bring an added value to the host organisation and the local community,

• not involve job substitution, nor be a substitute for military service or alternative service formulas,

• last for a limited period (maximum 12 months),

• involve at least one EU Member State.

Who are the partners in an EVS project?

An EVS project involves a partnership between three actors:

• a volunteer,

• a sending organisation,

• a host organisation.

The preparation, implementation and follow-up of EVS projects are a joint activity and express a true partnership between these three key actors. Any type of non-governmental organisation, an association, a local authority or any other non-profit-making local initiative can be a host/sending organisation. The status and aims of the host and sending organisations and the project itself must be non-profit making.