It is one of the EU’s most recognised programmes and creates opportunities for millions of Europeans to learn, teach, train and gain international experience.
But MEPs says the lauded and widely respected Erasmus+ scheme, as it is called, needs to be more “inclusive.”
They say at least 20% of Erasmus+ participants should, in future, be people with “less access to career and educational opportunities.”
That is the clear cut message from members of the EU parliament’s culture and education committee.
They say they want the next Erasmus+ programme to be “simpler, more predictable, and more accessible.”
Parliament’s rapporteur on the Erasmus+ file, Polish MEP Bogdan Zdrojewski said, “Erasmus+ is one of the EU’s most recognised programmes, creating opportunities for millions of Europeans to learn, teach, train, and gain international experience.”
The EPP deputy added, “The decisions we make today will shape those opportunities for years to come.
“As the programme evolves, we must ensure that it remains accessible, simple to navigate and responsive to the needs of young people, students, school pupils, teachers and organisations across Europe and beyond,” noted Zdrojewski.
The committee (CULT) voted on Tuesday (29 September) to amend a Commission proposal for the 2028-2034 Erasmus+ programme.
With around 17 million participants since its creation in 1987 and its 40th anniversary set to take place in 2027, Erasmus+ is the main EU funding instrument for mobility in education and training, youth and volunteering, and sport.
Even so, MEPs want to increase the programme budget to €47.39 billion (in current prices), in comparison to the proposed €40.8 billion by the Commission.
This is needed, they say, “to make sure the programme’s stated ambitions are adequately funded.”
In order to simplify the management of Erasmus+ and to make it more “predictable,” they also proposed a clear distribution of funds between its different policy fields: education and training (74.6% of the total amount), youth and volunteering (15%), and sport (4.1%), as well as within each field.
MEPs want to strengthen the conditions for Erasmus+ to be combined with other EU funds and initiatives.
They also support a requirement that grants under Erasmus+ have to continue to respect the EU’s financial interests and values enshrined in EU treaties.
MEPs on the committee on Tuesday also argued that support for opportunities to take part in educational and youth exchanges as a part of Erasmus+ should consider differences in living costs, housing prices, inflation and purchasing power between host countries, regions and cities.
They want the new programme to be more inclusive and that at least 20% of Erasmus+ participants should be people with less access to career and educational opportunities.
MEPs also believe the new Erasmus+ should help to implement the upcoming EU teachers and trainers agenda and lead to policy developments which will improve teacher recruitment and retention.
For the first time Erasmus+ should, MEPs say, facilitate the mobility of athletes in grassroots sports, and not only the staff of sport clubs or organisations.
MEPs support the Commission’s proposal to merge the current Erasmus+ and EU including the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps. European Solidarity Corps best practices will be applied in the new Erasmus+.
The committee’s position was approved by 24 votes to one and with one abstention.
It will be put to a vote for the whole Parliament at an upcoming plenary session. Once approved, negotiations with the Council of the EU.
The legislation is part of the EU’s 2028–2034 long-term budget (MFF) package. Parliament wants the budget to remain a strong investment tool that supports citizens, regions and businesses, while delivering clear added value beyond national budgets.
MEPs propose increasing the size of the draft budget to meet new challenges and they insist on the importance of new revenue sources to fund an ambitious and sustainable budget.
