European Solidarity Corps

The European Solidarity Corps, formerly known as European Voluntary Service (EVS), is an international volunteering programme by the European Commission for young people to go to another country to work for a non-profit cause.

EVS was second of the five 'Actions' of the EU YOUTH Programme and is administered by the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the European Commission.

The idea of the program is to send the volunteers aged 18-30 to an other country, providing them with basic means to sustain themselves during their stay (accommodation, food, insurance, travel fares etc). The program facilitates volunteering of European volunteers in Europe or all other countries of the world, as well as volunteers from European partner countries that will volunteer in EU countries.

The program is meant as a benefit to the volunteer, and not only as a benefit to the people that the volunteer is supposed to work with.

Regulations postulate that the volunteer can not occupy a job position that would otherwise be filled by a salaried employee. Volunteers participate in projects that are highly useful, such as working with disabled people or for various NGOs.