Three Decades of Solidarity - A historical overview of EU youth programmes
Last updated on Thursday, 26/03/2026
30 years of learning, volunteering and making a change! For over three decades, young people have crossed borders to volunteer in a foreign country. Youth exchanges and volunteering have been at the heart of EU programmes since the 1980s. From the creation of Erasmus in 1987 and Youth in Europe in 1988 to today's Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps, these programmes have helped young Europeans gain a true European identity, embrasse solidarity and grow into civically engaged adults.
From Youth for Europe, the EU’s first major youth exchanges programme for young people, to today’s European Solidarity Corps volunteering projects, the EU has funded programmes that help young people meet across borders, volunteer, gain lifelong skills and lead projects that make a difference, all costs covered by the EU!
In less than forty years, EU youth programmes have enabled well over 2 million young people to learn and act in solidarity across borders.
Here’s how it all happened!
Solidarity in the EU: why these programmes exist
If you’ve ever joined a youth exchange, volunteered abroad, or run a local project with people your age, you’ve felt it: solidarity isn’t just a word, but it’s what happens when young people meet, learn together and decide to improve things, for themselves and especially for others.
Back in the 1980s, the EU began moving beyond “only economy and trade” to build a more connected European society. Youth exchanges and volunteering became part of that story, not as an extra, but as a practical way to bring Europe closer to its citizens.
- 1988 - 1999Youth for Europe - the first ever funding programme for young people
In 1988, Youth for Europe became the first EU programme focused only on young people. Its aim was simple: to get young people from different countries to meet, work together and understand each other’s lives socially, culturally and economically, so cooperation across countries could start with people.
Crucially, the programme also made space for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, so opportunities were not limited to those with fewer barriers which created a stronger sense of belonging in Europe.
The programme targeted young people aged 15–25. It also pushed for inclusion early on, giving priority to exchanges involving young people with fewer opportunities and groups from areas with fewer chances to travel. Across the three phases, participation reached more than 500 000 young people! For many, their first truly international and multicultural experience, all supported by the EU, which realised there was a greater willingness to take part in social life.
- 1996 - 1999European Voluntary Service (EVS) is born
In the mid‑1990s, the EU tested a new idea: supporting young people to volunteer abroad for several months. That pilot quickly grew into the European Voluntary Service (EVS).
The EVS offered young people aged 18–30 the chance to volunteer for 2–12 months in Europe and beyond, in fields ranging from environmental action to solidarity with refugees and migrants, community work with children or older people, culture and much more. The programme covered key costs such as accommodation, food, travel, and insurance, so money was not a barrier to getting involved.
By 1999, over 7 000 young people had taken part. Many reported feeling more confident, more independent and more open to different cultures; and local communities benefited from their energy and ideas. The time to finally act together had come!
- 2000 - 2006EVS is integrated into the YOUTH programme for a bigger impact
In 2000, the EU launched the YOUTH Community Action Programme, combining youth exchanges, EVS, youth‑led initiatives and support for youth work. Young people could join an exchange, become a volunteer, or even start their own project with friends. The main goal was to strengthen young people’s solidarity and foster their proactive and creative European involvement!
It supported five big strands: youth exchanges, volunteering (EVS), youth initiatives, joint actions linking youth to education/training/employability and support measures like training and networking. A big “first” also happened here: the EU began ensuring participants’ social protection via insurance for activities.
From 2000 to 2006, participation reached over 850 000 people. Many young people reported a stronger sense of European citizenship and of community, while also contributing to their careers, as the programme provided them with important and unforgettable skills. Ultimately, youth workers and organisations highlighted added value through training and shared practice across borders.
- 2007 - 2013Youth in Action
Next came Youth in Action, open to all young people aged 13-30, youth workers and organisations. The biggest change? A stronger push for active citizenship while encouraging young people to have a say in Europe and shape society, not simply visit it.
It was designed to be open to everyone, no matter your education or where you came from. Most importantly, it didn’t forget inclusion: supporting young people with fewer opportunities became a clear priority, making it easier to take part in exchanges, learn outside the classroom and connect through intercultural experiences.
Youth in Action offered opportunities across youth exchanges, volunteering (EVS), cooperation beyond the EU, support for youth organisations and structured dialogue between young people and decision-makers. It also introduced a tool you may recognise today: the Youthpass, supporting the recognition of learning from non-formal experiences.
- 2014 - 2020Erasmus+ Youth
When Youth in Action ended, the youth strand continued under Erasmus+. The focus expanded: developing skills, strengthening social inclusion and wellbeing, supporting participation in democratic life, improving youth work quality and connecting youth experiences with the labour market, while of course keeping mobility and intercultural learning at the core.
Between 2014 and 2020, about 540 000 young people took part in youth exchanges, and more than 50 000 volunteers were supported. Inclusion became more central: a growing share of participants were young people with fewer opportunities, and many projects focused specifically on themes such as inclusion, equality, or mental health.
- 2016 onwardsThe European Solidarity Corps is here
In 2016, the EU launched the European Solidarity Corps initiative, which was designed as an easy entry point for young people who want to take action. Since 2018, it has operated as a full funding programme, supporting volunteering and Solidarity Projects, where young people themselves design and run their own local initiatives.
By late 2019, over 175 000 young people had registered on the Solidarity Portal, and more than 30 000 had started activities, helping in areas such as culture, the environment, social services, education, and support for refugees, migrants, children, and older people. And yes: learning still counts. Recognition tools like Youthpass help make those skills visible.
As of 2022, the European Solidarity Corps has opened up to the world, offering new cross-border volunteering opportunities that support Humanitarian Aid operations in non-EU countries. This is a chance to engage as active citizens, show solidarity with people facing humanitarian disasters or needing to prepare for future emergencies, while learning new skills, cultures, and ways of life, a definitively life-changing experience.
- 202610 years of the European Solidarity Corps
2026 marks 10 years since the launch of the European Solidarity Corps: a decade of young people stepping up for their communities, learning by doing and turning solidarity into something real and visible.
But anniversaries aren’t just about looking back. They’re also a reminder to keep raising the bar. The EU aims to do better and do more: make opportunities easier to access, strengthen inclusion so no one is left out, support higher-quality projects with real local impact and keep adapting to what young people care about.
Europe’s solidarity keeps growing with you in it!
Have you participated in a EU volunteering programme? Share your favourite your volunteering moment on Instagram and tag @european_youth_eu and @eurodesk.
Written by Eurodesk Brussels Link