(Brussels) Today, at the Charlemagne Building (European Commission), Brussels, a forum dedicated to the European Solidarity Corps recently established by the EU is taking place; 24 thousand youth have already applied for social, environmental and cultural initiatives all over Europe. The European Solidarity Corps is actually the new initiative of the European Union “which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe”. 17 year olds may join the European Solidarity Corps, but it is necessary to be 18 to launch a project. Projects will be available to people up to the age of 30 years old. The Commission says: “After a simple registration process, European Solidarity Corps participants could be selected and invited to join a wide range of projects, such as helping to prevent natural disasters or rebuild afterwards, assisting in centres for asylum seekers or addressing different social issues in communities”. Projects can last until twelve months and will usually be located within the European Union Member States. Today’s forum is meant to explain the initiative, for which the Commission has to submit a legislative proposal by the end of June, with the purpose of providing the Corps with its own legal basis.