Keep Youth and Volunteering Alive - For the sake of Europe's future!
European Commission (Ursula von der Leyen, President / Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport / Roxana Mînzatu, Vice-President, Commissioner for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness / Dubravka Šuica, Mediterranean Commissioner, DGEAC) Members of the European Parliament (especially committees such as CULT Culture and Education / BUDG Budgets / EMPL Employment and Social Affairs / EUDS European Democracy Shield) European Council (especially Youth Working Party)
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Petition
The European Solidarity Corps has given hundreds of thousands of young people the chance to volunteer, learn, and act for their communities — opportunities they would not otherwise have had. Yet in the design of the next Erasmus+ (2028–2034), youth work, volunteering, and solidarity risk losing visibility, funding, and dedicated space.
This petition calls on European leaders to protect what makes Europe unique: its young people’s capacity to connect, care, and create change.
A strong Youth Chapter, accessible Solidarity Projects, and fair inclusion for all regions are not just policy details — they are the lifeblood of a united, resilient, and democratic Europe.
We call on the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU to ensure that youth, solidarity, and volunteering remain at the core of the next Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (2028–2034).
Specifically, we ask them to:
- Reinstate a dedicated Youth Chapter with a clear budget (minimum 15% of Erasmus+).
- Safeguard Solidarity Projects as a separate and accessible action.
- Guarantee sustainable, multi-annual funding for volunteering organisations.
- Invest in capacity building for the youth civil sector and support structures.
- Ensure equal opportunities for young people from Neighbouring Countries.
Because without youth and solidarity, Europe loses its future.
The European Solidarity Corps has given hundreds of thousands of young people the chance to volunteer, learn, and act for their communities — opportunities they would not otherwise have had. Yet in the design of the next Erasmus+ (2028–2034), youth work, volunteering, and solidarity risk losing visibility, funding, and dedicated space.
This petition calls on European leaders to protect what makes Europe unique: its young people’s capacity to connect, care, and create change.
A strong Youth Chapter, accessible Solidarity Projects, and fair inclusion for all regions are not just policy details — they are the lifeblood of a united, resilient, and democratic Europe.
In short: Keep youth and solidarity alive in Europe’s next Erasmus+ — for the sake of our shared future.
Why is this important?
SoliDARE Proclamation
Adopted by the participants at the SoliDARE Meeting, October 2025
(organisations active in the European Solidarity Corps in Programme and Partner Countries)
Addressed to the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council of the EU
We, the participants of the SoliDARE 2025 Meeting, representing almost 100 organizations from 32 Programme and Partner Countries, united by the values of solidarity, inclusion, and youth empowerment, call on the European institutions to strengthen the future Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes (2028–2034).
Our united voice reaffirms that youth and solidarity must remain at the core of Europe’s future. The interim evaluation has shown this clearly: 71% of ESC participants say they would not have had access to comparable opportunities without the programme, underscoring the unique and irreplaceable role of ESC.
We welcome the Commission’s intention to place mobility, civic engagement, and volunteering as central pillars of the next generation of programmes – essential both to sustain established frameworks like the European Youth Strategy and to connect with newer priorities such as the Union of Skills and Preparedness. However, we are concerned that youth policy, youth work, and solidarity could lose visibility, resources, and impact unless key safeguards are secured.
Our Key Messages
1. We NEED A Strong Youth Chapter with a Clear Budget
- Reinstate a dedicated Youth Chapter with its own objectives and visibility.
- Ensure an earmarked budget of minimum 15% of the overall Erasmus+ allocation for youth, to keep in line with the current programmes.
2. Young people NEED Solidarity Projects as a Separate Action
- Safeguard Solidarity Projects as an independent action, distinct from Youth Participation activities.
- Recognise them as the entry point for newcomers, local groups, and grassroots actors.
- Expand the model through micro-granting schemes, making funding accessible and youth friendly.
3. Youth Organizations NEED Sustainable Funding for Volunteering
- Guarantee multi-annual and predictable funding for planning sustainable volunteering activities.
- Ensure that the average annual grant per organisation does not decrease, reversing negative trends observed in the current ESC programme.
4. Youth Sector NEEDs Capacity Building for Youth Civil Sector
- Allocate specific measures and budgets for capacity building and operational support of national and local youth NGOs, managed by National Agencies.
- Reinforce supporting instruments (Training & Cooperation Activities, SALTO Resource Centres, Youthpass, Youth Dialogue) as the fundamental pillars of quality youth work which drive successful outcomes.
5. World NEEDs Equal Treatment for Neighboring Countries
- Address barriers which can lead to exclusionary outcomes, such as the 25% budget cap on cooperation with Partner Countries. This inclusive vision should also reflect the renewed framework of cooperation under the New Pact for the Mediterranean, reinforcing youth engagement and civic participation across the Southern Neighbourhood within a shared Euro-Mediterranean vision.
- Allow youth in Neighboring Regions to access Solidarity Projects, Youth Participation activities, and mobility on equal terms, strengthening Europe’s partnerships and solidarity beyond borders.
Conclusion
The SoliDARE community believes that Youth, Solidarity, and Volunteering MUST remain central in the next Erasmus+ framework.
Europe’s resilience, inclusiveness, and democratic future depend on empowered young people who can act locally, and connect globally with a specific focus on the Neighboring Regions such as the Southern Neighborhood, Eastern Europe & Caucasus, and South-East Europe.
The future Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps should also align with the EU’s Global Gateway, positioning the youth sector as a central actor in advancing human connectivity, education, and civic cooperation between Europe and its partners. We therefore urge the European institutions to take these demands into account in the ongoing negotiations for Erasmus+ 2028–2034.
SoliDARE Participants, 2025