German Bundestag Printed paper 14/2351

14th electoral term 14.12.99

Motion

submitted by the parliamentary groups of the SPD, the CDU/CSU, ALLIANCE 90/THE GREENS and the F.D.P.

Establishment of a Study Commission on the Future of Civic Activities

The Bundestag is requested to adopt the following motion:

The Bundestag will set up a Study Commission on the Future of Civic Activities.

General tasks
Civic activities are indispensable for the cohesion of society. The Study Commission has the task of design concrete political strategies and measures to encourage voluntary civic activities in Germany, which are for the common good and are not intended to produce material gain (hereinafter called civic activities). Stocktaking, analysis and assessment of the current situation form the basis for its work. In drawing up such strategies and measures, the Study Commission should also take into account the relevant standards and experiences of the European Union and of other selected countries.

The stocktaking and the concrete political implementation strategies to be drawn up should be integrated into a description of societal reality, in which civic activities fulfils an important function both for the individual and for the general public.
Stocktaking
The Commission should take stock of the current situation as regards civic activities and, taking the following aspects into consideration, analyse and assess it:
1. clarification of the term "civic activities" including related areas, such as work in an honorary capacity, self-help and voluntary work; presenting the current state of the debate among scholars and practitioners in a politically relevant manner;
2. the relationship between civic activities and gainful employment;
3. preparation of a typological overview of the various forms and aspects of civic activities:
  1. in various areas of society, such as cultural affairs, sports, social affairs, the Churches, nursing, youth work, work with the elderly, the health system, education and training, care, disaster relief/emergency services, the legal system, labour and the business community, the environment/ecology and politics;
  2. in the various types of organization (associations, clubs, institutions, etc.) with due regard to the interaction between employment and civic activities in these organizations;
  3. the range of tasks performed by and the acceptance of voluntary agencies and self-help organizations within the framework of civic activities;
4. general conditions and prerequisites for civic activities in Germany:
  1. general legal and financial conditions, e.g. in the law governing foundations, tax law, the law of association, social law, labour law, the law governing non-profit organizations; questions concerning liability and insurance coverage;
  2. social prerequisites: society- and gender-specific forms of civic activities; the importance of family conditions and the level of education and training;
  3. general economic and labour market conditions, inter alia provisions for releasing staff from their duties and other questions in connection with employment;
  4. further training, qualification schemes and other measures to promote persons active in the area of civic activities;
  5. forms of material and non-material recognition of civic activities;
  6. role of the media in encouraging civic activities;
5. civic activities by international standards: experience in other selected countries, transferability to Germany.
Recommendations for action
On the basis of its stocktaking, the Study Commission is to draw up recommendations for action, which will result in enhanced general conditions for civic activities at federal, regional and local level:
1. devising a framework for the promotion of civic activities; drawing up proposals for strengthening the motivation of citizens and of young people in particular to assume tasks within the framework of civic activities;
2. assuring that gainful employment, a family and civic activities are compatible in the society of the future;
3. encouraging civic activities by means of government measures (particularly tax law, the law governing non-profit organizations, labour law, the law governing social security, liability law, insurance coverage, the law governing foundations, law of association); drawing up recommendations for creating material and non-material incentives;
4. drawing up proposals for improving the general financial conditions for civic activities;
5. drawing up proposals for modifying the general legal conditions, particularly regarding protection from risks connected with civic activities; reducing bureaucratic obstacles hindering civic activities;
6. devising qualification, training and further training schemes for persons active in the area of civic activities; making it possible for the qualifications obtained through civic activities to be used in employment;
7. formulating strategies to motivate groups, which have so far been underrepresented regarding civic activities;
8. drawing up recommendations to balance the relationship between tasks performed by the state on one hand and civic activities on the other;
9. formulating guidelines for recognizing institutions active in the area of civic activities and assuring the quality of such institutions;
10. defining the conditions for and the range of tasks of an "Alliance for Civic Activities" in Germany; developing pilot projects.
Composition
The Study Commission will comprise eleven Members of the Bundestag and eleven experts. The parliamentary group of the SPD will appoint five members and five experts and the parliamentary group of the CDU/CSU three members and three experts. The parliamentary group of ALLIANCE 90/THE GREENS, the parliamentary group of the F.D.P., and the parliamentary group of the PDS will each appoint one member and one expert. A substitute member may be appointed for each Member of the Bundestag.
Involvement in the ongoing passage of legislation and submission of a report
During the current legislative term the Study Commission is to be involved in the passage of legislation concerning civic activities. Six months before the end of the legislative term, the Commission is to report to the German Bundestag on its findings and submit recommendations for political action.

Berlin, 14 December 1999

Dr. Peter Struck and the parliamentary group of the SPD

Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble, Michael Glos and the parliamentary group of the CDU/CSU

Kerstin Müller, Rezzo Schlauch and the parliamentary group of ALLIANCE 90/THE GREENS

Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt and the parliamentary group of the F.D.P.

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