Voluntary service one step closer
Scheme would pay young people aged 16 - 25 to work for charities, foundations and associations
A SCHEME for young people to work voluntarily for charities has been passed by the Senate.
Young people aged between 16 and 25 would be paid and receive pension rights and other social benefits for helping with charities, foundations and associations.
The scheme would be open to all French nationals and those who could prove more than one year's residency in the country.
Work would last from six months to 24 months and would be paid at €600 a month. Volunteer firefighters would be included.
The scheme is set to replace the current volunteer law put in place by President Jacques Chirac in 2006 after France finished with military service in 1996.
Proposing the law Yvon Collin said the current civil volunteer scheme was unsuitable, inefficient and unworkable.
"The consequences of the end of military service in terms of social cohesion and mixture have not been compensated for," said senator Christian Demuynck.
The Agence du service civique et de l'éducation populaire (the new name for the current Institut national de la jeunesse et de l'éducation populaire) will run the scheme.
Young people will be overseen by support staff during their voluntary work.
While some senators want the scheme to become mandatory, the government has opposed this on the ground of cost – an estimated €3bn.
Forty million euros has been set aside to finance 10,000 volunteers in 2010. The scheme aims to attract 80,000 young volunteers by 2012.
It will be voted on by the National Assembly with a view to becoming law before the end of the year.
