WHAT IS ERASMUS PLUS?
The Erasmus+ Programme builds on the achievements of more than 25 years of European programmes in the fields of education, training and youth, covering both an intra-European as well as an international cooperation dimension. Erasmus+ is the result of the integration of the following European programmes implemented by the Commission during the period 2007-2013:
· The Lifelong Learning Programme
· The Youth in Action Programme
· The Erasmus Mundus Programme
· Tempus
· Alfa
· Edulink
· Programmes of cooperation with industrialised countries in the field of higher education
These programmes have been supporting Actions in the fields of higher education (including its international dimension), vocational education and training, school education, adult education and youth (including its international dimension).
Erasmus+ aims at going beyond these programmes, by promoting synergies and cross-fertilisation throughout the different fields of education, training and youth, removing artificial boundaries between the various Actions and project formats, fostering new ideas, attracting new actors from the world of work and civil society and stimulating new forms of cooperation. Erasmus+ aims at becoming a more effective instrument to address the real needs in terms of human and social capital development in Europe and beyond.
It is therefore crucial that the new Programme is associated with a strong brand name that is widely recognised. For this reason, all the Actions and activities supported under the Programme will have to be communicated first and foremost by using the "Erasmus+" brand name. However, to help participants and beneficiaries of former programmes to find their way into Erasmus+, for the purpose of communication and dissemination, the following names may be used for those Actions targeting a specific sector, in addition to the common "Erasmus+" brand name, as follows:
· "Erasmus+: Comenius", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively related to the field of school education;
· "Erasmus+: Erasmus", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively related to the field of higher education and targeting Programme Countries;
· "Erasmus+: Erasmus Mundus", in relation to the Joint Masters Degrees;
· "Erasmus+: Leonardo da Vinci", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively related to the field of vocational education and training;
· "Erasmus+: Grundtvig", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively related to the field of adult learning;
· "Erasmus+: Youth in Action", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively related to the field of youth non-formal and informal learning;
· "Erasmus+: Jean Monnet", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively associated with the field of European Union studies;
· "Erasmus+: Sports", in relation to the activities of the Programme exclusively related to the field of sport.
WHAT IS EVS (EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE)?
European Voluntary Service (EVS) is the European Commission’s project that allows, a young person (18-30 years) to become a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 2-12 months. The service activities can be, for example, in the field of environment, arts and culture, activities with children, young people or the elderly, heritage or sports and leisure activities. Each project has three partners, a volunteer, a sending organisation and a host organisation. The project has to take place in a country other than where the volunteers lives, in non-profit making and unpaid and lasts for a limited period (maximum 12 months).
As EVS project involves a triangular partnership: a volunteer, a sending organisation, and a host organisation. One of the countries involved in a project must be an EU Member State or an accession country.
· The volunteer’s international travel covers reasonable travel costs from the volunteer’s home to the host organisation, and the costs are paid to the sending organisation in full when the volunteer uses the cheapest available train or plane ticket (e.g discount air ticket, or equivalent). A copy of the ticket(s) must be attached to the final report.
· Contribution to the sending activities (recruitment, preparation, contact, assessment, follow-up) is a lump sum payment depending on the length of the project and is determined for each country.
· Exceptional volunteer cots related to the special needs of the volunteer (medical attendance, additional preparation, etc.) are paid in full, provided they are reasonable and justifiable.
· The volunteer’s allowance is fixed per host country and is paid in full to he host organisation to be given to the volunteer weekly or monthly.
· On May 9, 2012, Fraternite 2020 was registered as Europe’s first European Citiwens’ Initiative. Its goal in to get 3% of the EU budget for EU exchange programme like the EVS from 2014 (the share currently is 1.2%). To be successful it needs to collect 1 million signatures by November 1, 2013
All volunteers are insured for sickness, accidents, permanent invalidity, and repatriation in case of serious illness, accident. And death through AXA. The insurance complements the protection provided by the national social security 9IF APPLICABLE0 which is provided by the E111 (or similar) form of the volunteer. All insurance costs are paid directly by th European Commission and they are not included in project budgets.