Declaration on the establishment of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps

The European Parliament adopted a declaration on the establishment of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps.

Recalling that 2011 is the European Year of Volunteering, Parliament stressed that the long European tradition of volunteering is an indispensable part of our common European identity. It declared that humanitarian action is a fundamental expression of the European value of solidarity.

At the same time, it stressed that the EVHAC will bring added value to European citizens by encouraging their active participation and contributing to a more cohesive society. Members called on the European Parliament and the Council to determine the rules and procedures for the operation of the Corps in response to disasters and to work on setting up the Corps promptly.

Parliament considered that the key components of the Voluntary Service should be the identification and selection of volunteers and their training and deployment.