The Official Journal of the European Union has issued the Decision of the Council which officially declares 2011 as European Year of Volunteering to promoting active citizenship

The European Council has published in its edition of 22 January 2010, the decision that designates 2011 as the European Year of Voluntary Activities Promoting Active Citizenship. The total budget for the year will be 8 million EUR.

The European Commission proposed 2011 to be the European year of voluntary recognition in June 2009, insisting on volunteering as an expression of active citizen participation that reinforces the common European values, such as solidarity and social cohesion.

In November, the Committee on Education and Culture of the European Parliament, in reviewing the proposal from the Commission, asked for the budget to be expanded to 10 million euros: 8 for its own work in 2011 and 2 for the preparatory activities for the 2010.

The European Year of Volunteering should help volunteers and volunteering organisations from everywhere in Europe to meet and to learn what is done best in other countries. The public authorities will be able to learn more about volunteers and making volunteering easier. Citizens who do not know much about volunteering should find out more about it, and maybe become volunteers one day themselves. And finally, the European Year should give recognition to the volunteers.