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1. Existence of a National Strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a National Strategy

There is no stand-alone National Strategy on Youth Volunteering in Romania. Youth volunteering is a specific objective of the  National Youth Strategy 2024-2027  (approved through the Government Decision nr. 566/2024).

Between 2019 and 2021, a coalition of youth organisations and organisations working of volunteers of all ages (Bethany Social Services Foundation, Community Support Foundation Bacau, Pro Vobis - National Resource Centre for Volunteering Romania and Cluj-Napoca Volunteer Centre) prepares amendments to the Volunteering Law with support from the Active Citizens Fund, funded by EEA Grants. Complementary, a coalition of NGOs including the Timiș County Youth Foundation, Pro Vobis - National Resource Centre for Volunteering Romania, ART Fusion and the National Youth Foundation prepared the  Strategy for Volunteering in Romania, and support from Erasmus Plus. Citizens and NGO consultations on the existing needs have been organised. However, the strategy was not yet adopted by the Government.

Scope and contents

For volunteering, the specific objective 5.1 of the  National Youth Strategy 2024-2027 includes two strategic policy measures (action lines): 

1. Encouraging young people's participation in volunteering programs and activities and improving the formal certification and recognition system of volunteering activities
2. Facilitating the mobility of volunteers in the national, European and international space

Concrete planned actions include:

• Carrying out information and awareness campaigns on the importance of involving young people in volunteering activities
• Supporting organisations that offer volunteer internships for young people, with special attention for newly established ones
• Supporting the involvement of young people with special needs in volunteering activities
• Consolidation of partnerships at the local, regional, territorial level to support the mobility of volunteers.
• Organization of information and counselling sessions on mobility opportunities and conditions
• Developing and supporting youth volunteer networks

Responsible authority

The main responsible authority for the promotion of youth volunteering is the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities.

Revisions/ Updates

The National Youth Strategy 2024-2027 was adopted in May 2024, after a long planning process, with numerous debates organised between 2020 and 2023. In December 2020 a needs assessment was provided by the Life Quality Institute to support the elaboration of the strategy in 2021. Additionally, the Youth Barometer 2020 was released with the same aim. Other than that, consultations with the Counties’ Directorates on Youth and Sport and with other governmental institutions with responsibilities in the field of youth were organised. Based on the outcomes of the research and the consultation processes and after consultation with the National Council for Youth, a preliminary proposal for the new Youth Strategy, in line with the European Youth Strategy, was published in 2021. A cooperation protocol with the Government’s General Secretariat was signed by the Ministry of Youth and Sport in order to be provided with additional support for the coordination of the development and adoption process of the new Youth Strategy. In 2022-2023, the consultation processes with the governmental and non-governmental organisations continued, aiming to have the final project adopted by the end of the year. The strategy was eventually adopted in May 2024.

In the period 2015-2020 youth volunteering was one of the key areas of the National Strategy in Field of Youth Policy 2015-2020. The main elements concerning volunteering in the former youth strategy have been focusing on informing the public and young people about volunteering, raising awareness and support for youth volunteering and improving the certification system of voluntary work. The specific objectives of the strategy concerning youth volunteering  were:

1. Create an environment that fosters volunteering in Romania
2. Improve the system of volunteer work certification and public recognition
3. Raise public awareness of the importance of volunteer engagement

The Youth Strategy 2015-2020 have been preceded by the National Action Plan for Youth (PNA-T) 2001 and its revised version for 2005-2008.