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The youth volunteering is a non-profit activity, performed free by young people on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria or in another state on programmes and initiatives in the area of social, youth, sport and other socially significant activities. (Youth Act).

The volunteer is a person who does well to others by his/her own free will, and without compensation/payment. Volunteering quite often means voluntary work, i.e. work for the others’ benefit (outside the family or the household), whereby the volunteer receives no compensation for it. Although voluntary activities envisage no payment, volunteers could be supported by contributions for their transportation expenses, food, accommodation, etc.

The European Solidarity Corps is one of the recent youths’ initiatives of the European Commission, announced by Jean-Claude Juncker (the President of the European Commission) during his speech in September 2016. The European Solidarity Corps was officially launched in early December 2016 (https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/eu-solidarity_en). The initiative creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects that benefit communities and people across Europe (https://europa.eu/youth/Solidarity_bg). The European Solidarity Corps offers young people the opportunity to carry out full-time voluntary activities for two to twelve months in another country. The European Voluntary Service (which is part of ERASMUS+) as well as other EU funding programmes are as a base for the implementation of the European Solidarity Corps’ activities

In Bulgaria, there are a number of functioning non-governmental organisations, which operate in this area and carry out and support voluntary work.

Discussions between young people and institutions/organisations (policy-makers and those implementing policies in different fields) ensure that the opinion of the young people is taken into account in determining the European Union’s youth policies – this is the essence of the Structured dialogue (http://www.structured-dialogue.bg/).

Ministers in charge for youth policies determine the topics of discussions on the EU level. The Troika (the current trio of the Presidency), the European Commission and the European Youth Forum together carry out the process’ coordination. Twice per year, questions directed to the European young people serve as a basis for national consultations in each Member State. On the national level, the process is organised and coordinated by national working groups that, in most cases, consist of youth councils and other youth organisations and stakeholders. To get in contact with the National Working Group on Structured Dialogue in Bulgaria (headed by the National Youth Forum) please contact with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Sofia 1040, Vassil Levski Blvd 75), or connect by email at: info@structured-dialogue.bg.

Following the (national) consultations, youth conferences are organised on the European level twice per year, where youth representatives and policy-makers have the opportunity to work together. The findings of the national consultations provide the basis for the preparation of documents for the European conferences. European conferences convey joint messages to the EU Member States.