The pilot phase of the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid, the European Volunteers Corp was launched in Budapest, at a conference organised by the European Commission and the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union. The European Commission is now starting the practical implementation of the initiative by selecting, training and deploying the first team of European humanitarian volunteers.

The pilot project aim to test the ideas and concepts explored in the course of public consultations: how can European volunteers best complement the NGOs' work, and how can they bring real value to the people who rely on Europe’s solidarity around the world?. Over 80% of respondents in the consultations indicated that the Corps would make a positive contribution to humanitarian aid. According to respondents, European volunteers could make the biggest difference in local capacity building, back-office support and the use of new instruments, such as online volunteering. Participants in the consultations credited the future Corps with trust in its high potential to boost volunteers’ professionalism and safety, as well as the coordination and coherence in humanitarian aid.

In this pilot phase, the first European humanitarian volunteers will undergo extensive training, which will allow them and the Corps to develop the right toolbox of skills to effectively assist communities in humanitarian risk, while fostering local capacities among aid-receiving communities.

The volunteers will start working in third countries through three pilot projects later in 2011. Building on this pilots and others such as under the security topic, Commissioner Georgieva will propose EU legislation in 2012, which will define the structure of the future European Humanitarian Voluntary Corps and its role in the humanitarian framework.