The European Commission adopted a policy document to further improve the recognition and promotion of volunteering in the EU. In the Communication published, the Commission outlines ways for the EU and its Member States to start fully exploiting the great potential offered by volunteering activities, such as the creation of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps and the development of a 'European Skills Passport'.

The European Commission  adopted a Communication on EU Policies and Volunteering to further improve the recognition and promotion of volunteering in the EU. This is the first time the European Commission has adopted a policy document dedicated exclusively to volunteering. In the context of European Year of Volunteering 2011, in its Communication published, the Commission outlines ways for the EU and its Member States to start fully exploiting the great potential offered by volunteering activities, including the creation of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps and the development of a 'European Skills Passport'. 

In 2010, the Commission proposed to create a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps and it is also working to increase the recognition of skills gained through volunteering activities by developing a 'European Skills Passport'. The Commission wants to build on different success stories and further target volunteers in other policy areas. For example, there are already a number EU-level funding schemes for volunteering, of which the best-known is perhaps the European Voluntary Service (part of the EU's Youth in Action programme), which celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year.

Volunteering activities directly contribute to the key objectives of EU policies. In this context, Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, in charge of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, stressed that there are 100 million volunteers in the EU who are helping to make Europe and the world a better place. However, there is no clear legal framework for volunteering activities and skills volunteers gain are often not sufficiently recognised. The Commission also calls for Member States to open national schemes for fostering cross-border volunteering.