The European Volunteer Centre (CEV) is a European umbrella association of currently 59 National and Regional Volunteer Centres across Europe and beyond, that together work to support and promote voluntary activity.
CEV channels the collective priorities and concerns of its member organisations to the institutions of the European Union. It also acts as a central forum for the exchange of policy, practice and information on volunteerism. It supports networking among its members and organises conferences, seminars, workshops and other activities such as research.
The members of CEV represent thousands of volunteer organisations, association and other voluntary and community groups at local, regional and national level. Together we work to:
• Be an effective voice for volunteering in Europe
• Strengthen the infrastructure for volunteering in the countries of Europe
• Promote volunteering in Europe and make it more effective
CEV’s origins lie in an initiative by the two Belgian Regional Volunteer Centres, Vlaams Steunpunt Vrijwilligerswerk and l’Association pour le Volontariat who, together with le Centre National du Volontariat (France) , the National Centre for Volunteering (UK), and il Centro Nazionale per il Volontariato (Italy) organised a Meeting in Lucca, Italy 1989 for the representatives of National and Regional Volunteer Centres in eight European countries. The outcome of the meeting was a joint declaration for increased European cooperation. The European Volunteer Centre (CEV) was founded in February 1990 on the basis of this declaration, and in 1992 was officially granted the status of “international non-profit organisation.†On 5 December 1995, CEV organised the first ever European Day for Volunteering in the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium, with the active support of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and UNESCO.
In all its different forms, Volunteering plays a crucial role across the European Union:
• Volunteers are engaged in a diverse range of activities, such as the provision of education and services, mutual aid or ‘self-help’, advocacy, campaigning, management, community and environmental action.
• Volunteering is a means of social inclusion and integration. It contributes to a cohesive society creating bonds of trust and solidarity and, thus, social capital.
• Volunteering is one of the ways in which people of all nationalities, religions, socio- economic backgrounds and ages can contribute to positive change.
• Volunteers contribute to the implementation of EU policies, such as social inclusion policies and development aid.
• Volunteerism can be used as a tool to stimulate active and responsible European citizenship, which is central to European ideals and values of democracy, solidarity and participation.
• It is a powerful source of reconciliation and reconstruction in divided societies.
• Through volunteering people gain and exercise skills such as leadership, communication and organisation skills, they extend their social networks and often move on to paid jobs in the future; Volunteering provides informal and non-formal learning opportunities and is therefore a crucial instrument in the life-long learning strategy within the European Union.
• The economic value and the share of “economic†activity in the Gross Domestic Product of volunteering is significant and needs to be clearly identified in National Statistical Accounts.
• Volunteering and the creation of innovative partnerships between businesses, public authorities and volunteer centres is a way of developing the corporate social responsibility agenda.
• Volunteering plays an important role in finding solutions to societal issues. Volunteers help to improve the quantity and quality of services and to creatively develop new services. In this way volunteering can contribute to the creation of new employment opportunities.
• Voluntary action is therefore an important component of the strategic objective of the European Union of becoming “…the most competitive and dynamic, knowledge-based economy in the world…†as adopted by Member States at the European Council in Lisbon in March 2000.
CEV is actively working to:
• Win recognition for the role and value of volunteering as an expression of active citizenship in Europe;
• Act as a bridge for communication, awareness rising and participation between active citizens, their volunteer organizations and the work of the
European institutions;
• Promote the role of volunteer development centres in advancing volunteering as an expression of active citizenship;
• Support the development of new centres;
• Promote innovation and good practice between members in the field of supporting and reinforcing volunteering, participation and active citizenship;
• Develop strategic alliances with other key networks and organisations;
• Increase and diversify the membership of CEV;
• Maintain the efficient management of the organisation.
It also regularly organises conferences to support and promote volunteering for example:
• Cluj, Romania 2005 - 'Volunteering for all ages- summit of generations'
• Rome, Italy 2006 - 'Volunteering in a life long learning policy'
• Paris, France 2007 - 'Volunteering as a route (back) to employment'
Markus Held
Director
The European Volunteer Centre – Centre Européen du Volontariat
CEV
Rue de la Science 10
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 511 75 01
Fax: +32 2 514 59 89
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CEV - The European Volunteer Centre 
