As part of a wider study on volunteering in the EU, an online survey on volunteering in sport was launched by the Commission last week (11 September).
Ahead of the European Year of Volunteering in 2011, the survey will seek to ascertain the views of sports organisations, clubs and other stakeholders on key trends in volunteering.
The themes covered include the regulatory framework for volunteering in sport, its socio-cultural dimension, and challenges and opportunities in the EU 27.
More specifically, the survey tries to map whether there is specific legislation on the promotion or engagement of volunteers, and find out whether sports organisations benefit from specific tax regimes, exemptions or reduced VAT rates, for example.
Stakeholders are also expected to spell out the problems they face when recruiting, retaining and replacing volunteers, as well as to shed light on the way in which the national regulatory frameworks in place affect sports volunteering in different countries.
The survey will help draft 27 national factsheets on volunteering in sport. The factsheets will present statistics and specific policies, and give details of regulatory and institutional arrangements, funding and the impact of sports volunteering for each member state.
A report analysing the main findings contained in the factsheets will also be developed to table recommendations on volunteering in sports.
