The Next EU budget must not leave young people behind

As negotiations on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework raise the prospect of cuts to Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, a coalition of civil society organisations and institutional representatives from across Europe has published a joint opinion piece. Their message: youth engagement must not become a budgetary adjustment variable.

Gathered in Paris in late May 2026 for the annual conference of the Collectif pour un Service Civique Européen, these stakeholders drew up six proposals to strengthen volunteering across the European Union. Their goal: to make European civic service and structured volunteering a second pillar of European mobility, alongside Erasmus+.

EU budget 2028–2034: why youth volunteering is at risk

During the EU budget negotiations, several proposals have emerged to reduce the budget compared with the European Commission’s original plan. The final allocation for Erasmus+ is still under negotiation, and the European Solidarity Corps is expected to be merged into the future programme – raising fears that its funding could be cut along with it.

Yet demand already far exceeds supply: opportunities remain limited and unevenly distributed across Europe, and exchanges of volunteers between national schemes are still rare.

Volunteering: a second pillar of European mobility

For almost forty years, Erasmus has brought Europeans closer together. Structured volunteering – through the European Solidarity Corps and national civic service schemes – adds an essential dimension: contributing directly to the public good.

Its benefits are clear:

• it builds independence and skills;
• it strengthens civic participation and social cohesion;
• it is open to young people without prior qualifications, work experience or language skills, provided adequate support is in place.

The ambition is bold: to progressively build a system capable of reaching an entire European generation – around five million young people every year.

Six proposals for the future of European volunteering

1. A stronger European Solidarity Corps

The signatories call for the European Solidarity Corps’ funding to be progressively increased to €1 billion per year, with the aim of offering up to ten times more volunteering missions. Its integration into the future Erasmus+ programme must not compromise its identity, visibility or the resources dedicated to solidarity activities.

2. A bridge between national civic service and European mobility

Truly accessible mobility cannot depend solely on the chance to travel abroad. The coalition calls for preserving and expanding in-country missions, with 20% of the European Solidarity Corps budget allocated to them and no national ceilings. In countries without established civic service programmes, pilot pathways could begin with at least six months of volunteering in the country of residence, followed by a European mobility experience.

3. Common European standards for civic service

Expanding opportunities also means guaranteeing their quality. The signatories propose a shared framework under which civic service programmes could be recognised as National Solidarity Corps. Rights and responsibilities, age ranges, mission duration, participant status, financial support, guidance, mentoring and recognition of skills would be covered by common standards – adaptable to national contexts and clearly distinguishing civic service from paid employment, internships, formal training and occasional volunteering.

4. A permanent European coalition

Cooperation between national and European programmes requires a stable forum for dialogue between Member States, public agencies, local authorities, civil society, host organisations and volunteers. Through regular meetings, this network would support the exchange of good practices, mutual recognition of experiences, cross-border volunteer exchanges and better coordination between programmes.

5. Joint missions addressing Europe’s major challenges

Closer cooperation would enable young people to take part in shared priorities:

• climate action and environmental protection;
• international solidarity, including support for Ukraine;
• intergenerational solidarity and support for older people;
• major cultural and sporting events, including the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps.

6. Volunteering as an instrument of public policy

Youth engagement should not be confined to youth policy. It should become a means of implementing European policies through programmes, calls for proposals and public-interest initiatives. These proposals should lead to a common European action plan for volunteering and civic service, developed at EU level or through cooperation among willing countries.

A model of participation for a whole generation

This is not simply a call for more funding. The opinion piece sets out a model of European participation in which every young person – regardless of economic circumstances, educational background or country of residence – can find a meaningful way to contribute to society. European governments are urged to secure adequate, dedicated and sustainable funding for Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, and to turn civil society’s proposals into concrete commitments.

“Europe cannot ask young people to believe in its future without investing in their ability to build it.”

Joint opinion – Collectif pour un Service Civique Européen

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Signatories

• Benjamin Sibille — General Director and Founder, Collectif pour un Service Civique Européen (France / EU)
• Marinella Linati — Director for Italy, Collectif pour un Service Civique Européen (France / EU)
• Marie Trellu-Kane — General Secretary of the Board and Founder, Unis-Cité (France)
• Thierry Sibieude — President, Unis-Cité (France)
• Guido Spaccaforno — Vice President, Fondazione AMESCI (Italy)
• Vladimír Škuta — President, Tmelník z.s. (Czechia)
• Juan Pedro Barrero — Technician, Arrabal-AID (Spain)
• Juan De Lucas — International Area Director, Arrabal-AID (Spain)
• Agnieszka Lissowska-Lewkowicz — President of the Board, Stowarzyszenie Centrum Wolontariatu (Poland)
• Marios Nicolaou — Officer, Human Resource Development Authority of Cyprus (Cyprus)
• Dimitra Anagnostopoulou — Head of Technology, ICT & Communications, Municipality of Tripolis (Greece)
• Nathalie van Innis — Director of Operations, Plateforme pour le Service Citoyen (Belgium)
• Lakshya Raj — President, EUnexus (Estonia)
• Stefano Campanari — President, Scambieuropei ETS (Italy)
• Malaury Morin — Campaign Director, Blutopia (France)
• Mouvement associatif français — Network of 70 structures (France)
• Yanis Lammari — Co-Director, Youth ID (France / Spain)
• Lorène Arnoult — President, Jeunes Européens – France (France)
• Harishan Uthayakumar — Co-President, Animafac (France)
• Luigi Balacco — Director, Associazione InCo-Molfetta (Italy)
• Lisa Ménétrier — President, Parlement Européen des Jeunes – France (France)
• Paolo Stollagli — President, Associazione Antigóna (Italy)
• Adriano Difronzo — President, EUROSUD (Italy)
• Laurence Aubron — Director, Euradio (France)
• Baptiste Mulot — Executive Director, Association Beauval Nature (France)
• Thomas Gachet — Deputy Secretary General in charge of Youth and Civic Engagement, La Ligue de l’enseignement (France)
• Suzanne De Cheveigne — President, Association Nationale Compagnons Bâtisseurs (France)

Contacts

Institutional contact: Benjamin Sibille – benjamin.sibille@service-civique-europeen.com – WhatsApp: +33 6 89 46 63 00

Media contact: Marinella Linati – marinella.linati@service-civique-europeen.com – WhatsApp: +39 349 382 2018