Registration

• Ylva Tiveus, Director "Citizens", Directorate General Communication, European Commission
• The Right Honourable Yorgos Kaminis, Mayor of Athens Welcomes the participants and explains the purpose of the event Why is volunteering important in Europe? Why this invitation to attend this conference?

• The facilitation team explains what we are going to do and how we are going to work together
• Presentation of the different perspectives invited into the room

Short conversations among people to connect to the purpose of the conference and with each other on the question:

• Why did I choose to be here today?
• What are the reasons to be here?
• Why is it important for me to be here?

Presentation by Joachim Ott, Deputy Head of unit "Citizens Policy", Directorate General Communication, European Commission, followed by questions & answers

Moderator: Mr Panos Carvounis, Head of the Representation Office of the European Commission in Athens

What are the most important topics that we need to discuss and take action on in order to move volunteering forward?

(creating the agenda, sessions with coffee break included, sharing of results)

Considering the most important topics from the morning and the presentation of the different interpretations of policy recommendations. What do I need/want to share or explore now towards getting done what is necessary? Sharing stories, experiences, engaging with key questions, projects…

A number of topics can be expected to be raised by the participants, such as:

• "A European Statute for Volunteering NGOs?"
• "The treatment of in-kind contributions in public procurement and grant-giving",
• "Volunteering and the use of ICT and the social media",
• "Volunteering in sport",
• "Improving partnerships between local government and local volunteering organizations",
• "Structures for promoting employee volunteering: examples of best practice from the public and private sectors",
• "Structures for promoting senior volunteering",
• "New actions to create a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps."
• EYV 2011 Legacy and EY 2012
• Volunteering and social innovation
• The European Volunteering Measurement project
• Volunteering as co-funding for projects especially at EU level
• A Rights based approach on volunteering
• Volunteering and Corporate Social Responsibility:
• Volunteering for democracy” recommendations for civil society and local authorities working together
• National State lotteries and funding and support for volunteering
• Cross Border Volunteering – contribution to reducing youth unemployment / skills development

Other topics or questions will be raised by the participants

Registration is from 08:30 am onwards

World Café + Convergence

What do we now recommend are the actions taken at either a European or national level to make a difference?

1. Ms Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Vice-President of the European Parliament
2. Mr. Krzysztof Stanowski, Under-Secretary of State, Representative of the Polish Presidency of the European Union
3. Ms Gabriella Civico, Project Manager for the EYV 2011 Alliance

1. Ms. Ylva Tiveus, Director "Citizens", Directorate General Communication, European Commission
2. Mr. Giannos Livanos, Secretary General for Youth at the General Secretariat for Youth in the Ministry of Education