Supporting Volunteers, Strengthening Society - EL at the IVY2026 EU Action Forum
On 26 February 2026, the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY2026) was launched at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Organised by the Centre for European Volunteering (CEV) in collaboration with EL, and hosted by MEP Catarina Vieira (Greens/EFA, NL), the EU Action Forum highlighted the vital role volunteers play in building inclusive and resilient societies.
European Lotteries: A Sustainable Partner for Civil Society
EL Secretary General Piet Van Baeveghem participated in a fireside chat on the EU Civil Society Strategy and the IVY2026 Call to Action, alongside Blandine Delprat (Red Cross EU Office) and Carlotta Besozzi (Civil Society Europe). During the discussion, Piet highlighted a key message: national lotteries in Europe are long-term partners of civil society. EL members secured more than €26 billion for society in 2024, directly supporting a wide range of good causes and communities.
A Concrete Example: Ireland
Volunteer Ireland – the national body that promotes, supports and advocates for volunteering – has been formally designated Ireland’s lead for IVY2026 and receives funding from the National Lottery through the Scheme to Support National Organisations of the Department of Rural and Community Development. This support enables the organisation to expand its impact, strengthen services such as the national volunteering database — where individuals can find volunteer roles and organisations can connect with volunteers — enhance quality across the volunteer network and carry out research. The Irish National Lottery also funds thousands of volunteer-based organisations each year through its Good Causes programme, many of which rely on volunteers to deliver essential services.
Safeguarding the European Lottery Model
At the Forum, EL further emphasised the importance of protecting the European lottery model. The model is simple and rooted in European values: millions of citizens participate in a low-risk draw – of whatever kind – for a small amount of money, with chance alone determining who wins. As a model based on chance only, it stands for equality and equal opportunities for all citizens. By safeguarding this model, lotteries remain trusted partners to continue to benefit society.
More than economic operators, lotteries are cultural and social pillars embedded in European life. As highlighted by prominent leaders such as Professor Koen Lenaerts, President of the Court of Justice of the EU and Count Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council, lotteries have societal value and their contributions to communities, culture and social cohesion require recognition and protection at the EU level.
Several EL lottery members attended the Forum to exchange, network and learn from each other.
Iva Zorko (EL), Jennifer Crowe & Sile Rooney (The National Lottery, Ireland) Petri Lahesmaa (Veikkaus), Piet Van Baeveghem (EL), Angelos Efthymiou (Cyprus Government Lottery), Roar Daatselaar (ACLEU).
A commitment to volunteering
The Forum brought together MEPs from across the political spectrum, including Katarina Barley (S&D, DE), Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP, PL), Sergey Lagodinsky (Greens/EFA, DE), Grégory Allione (Renew, FR) and Lena Schilling (Greens/EFA, AT), as well as a video address by Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport. Participants explored strategies to strengthen volunteering and civil society across Europe – with EL contributing practical insights on how lotteries can complement these efforts and generate social impact.
Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport
Looking ahead to IVY2026
The IVY2026 launch reinforced EL’s long-standing commitment to social responsibility and sustainable community impact. By supporting volunteers and protecting long-term funding models for civil society through national lotteries, the EU can enable European societies to thrive culturally, socially and economically. Looking ahead, EL will remain an active partner in this shared effort.
