EC Announces New Humanitarian Volunteer Initiative

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Kristalina Georgieva (C) presenting the EU Aid Volunteers initative Wednesday in Brussels. EPA/BGNES

The European Commission announced Wednesday a new EUR 239 M humanitarian initiative to broaden the aid outreach of the EU.

Dubbed "EU Aid Volunteers", the program aims to provide a path for Europeans eager to help practically where help is most urgently needed.

It intends to create opportunities for some 10,000 people to volunteer globally in disaster-struck areas, for the period 2014-20.

"We have here a unique possibility to send a positive signal in these times of crisis: through their actions in the field and on the ground, EU Aid Volunteers will demonstrate our European solidarity by helping those most in need," said EU Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.

"Volunteering has the overwhelming support of all our citizens throughout all our member states," added the Bulgarian Commissioner.

The EC will build training program to prepare volunteers for deployment in multinational groups that will train extensivelly before being deployed to needy areas.

EU AID Volunteers have to be over 18 years of age and have to be citizens or long-term residents in the EU and certain other European countries.

The Commission further proposes to develop European standards for managing volunteers in humanitarian projects.

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