volunteering in third sector activities plays an important role in eu policy making given the benefits for society in terms of cohesion inclusion democracy citizenship and also bringing us very clear inherent economic value
volunteering provides many occasions for non-formal education and deserves to be adequately recognised
while volunteering takes place in many sectors there are structural specificities regarding the field of sport
voluntary activity in sport forms the basis for the organisation administration and implementation of sport activities in new member states and plays a fundamental role in supporting the entire sport structure
this importance of voluntary activity in sport has repeatedly been acknowledged at the eu political level in its two thousand and seven white paper on sport the commission explicitly recognises the role of voluntary activity as one of the common elements of the european approach to sport
in its pierre de coubertin action plan the white paper therefore seeks to promote volunteering in sport and non-profit sport organisations through specific actions including a study on volunteering and exchange of good practices within the informal eu non-profit sport organisation working group
in addition projects relating to volunteering in sport have been financed through the europe for citizens and youth in action programmes
a new study on volunteering was launched in spring two thousand and nine and it described volunteering and it will describe the volunteering in all twenty-seven member states
this will bring deep analyses of the main opportunities and challenges and it will be followed by the recommendation to the european union member states civil society and sport organisations
the study results are expected before the end of two thousand and nine so we will definitely be receiving them in the coming weeks
we believe that this study should contribute to an increased understanding of volunteering in sports in both societal and economic terms as a basis for responding to the political demand to promote voluntary activities in sport and its underlying structure in an eu context
as stipulated in its proposal which is still subject to the legislative procedure the commission also intends to promote voluntary activity in sport under the framework of european year on volunteering twenty eleven
provided that the lisbon treaty enters into force the implementation of new provisions on sport which include the specific reference to the promotion of sports structures based on voluntary activities at eu level will require due reflection
in that event the commission will hold consultations with all concerned stakeholders to develop policy and suitable initiatives with a clear eu added value
