Caritas Europa calls upon the European Union as well as upon the Council of Europe to urge European and national policy makers to acknowledge and support the importance of volunteering for a more humane society of solidarity, and to help volunteering further develop and realize its full potential. For Caritas, volunteering is a part of its values and identity; the personal commitment of Christians and citizens with their neighbours in situation of poverty or exclusion, an action of solidarity. Volunteers are an essential part of Caritas’ actions.

Key points:
Most commercial property markets around the world remain robust, in spite of the recent economic difficulties.

In Europe, Germany and France have reported strong performances with Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic also showing encouraging commercial sector results.
The report indicates that the majority of countries surveyed witnessed positive growth in occupier and investment demand as well as in development starts during the second quarter of 2011.

How do I plan to build a passive house? How can I renovate my house in an energy efficient way? What financial instruments are available in the Netherlands to stimulate energy saving measures? How can I measure the energy consumption of my building? Answers to these questions and many more can now be found on the website www.takeyourenergyback.eu. The Smart-energy Buidings  partners have assembled a database with over 100 tools for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings.