Elspeth Attwooll MEP, is backing calls for 2011 to be officially declared the 'European Year of Volunteering' in recognition of Europe's 'shared spirit of volunteering'. The campaign is one of the recommendations in a new report (Harkin Report) on the 'Role of Volunteering in contributing to Economic and Social cohesion' adopted today by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Attwooll, the Liberal Democrat Member for Scotland said 'Scottish research has estimated that a total of 1.3 million adults formally volunteered in 2006. This is quite amazing considering that EU figures had the total for all Member States at around 100 million in the same year. It's vital that EU-level policy making recognisies the importance of volunteering to the economic and social well being of our communities, with proper funds made available to support it'