MEPs back bigger, more accessible Erasmus+ as €47bn proposal moves forward

Members of the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee have backed a significantly expanded Erasmus+ programme for 2028-2034, calling for more money, simpler rules and stronger protections for students and young people facing higher costs of studying abroad. The committee voted 24 in favour, one against and one abstention on Tuesday on its position on the European Commission’s proposed successor to the current Erasmus+ programme. The text will now go before the full European Parliament, after which negotiations with EU member states can begin. At the centre of the Parliament’s position is money MEPs want the next Erasmus+ programme to receive €47.39 billion in current prices, significantly above the Commission’s proposed €40.8 billion. They argue that the additional funding is needed to match the programme’s expanding ambitions across education, training, youth, volunteering and sport. The committee also wants the money divided more clearly between policy areas, with 74.6 percent earmarked for education and training, 15 percent for youth and volunteering, and 4.1 percent for sport, according to its press statements yesterday. MEPs want Erasmus+ grants to take greater account of the real cost of living in the country where participants are studying or training. That means factors such as housing costs, inflation and purchasing power would be taken into consideration when determining support. That issue could be particularly relevant for participants travelling to expensive cities or countries, where a standard mobility grant can cover very different proportions of a student’s actual costs. The committee is also pushing for a more inclusive programme, with a target that at least 20 percent of participants should come from groups with fewer educational or career opportunities. For Cyprus, another provision has particular relevance Loucas Fourlas, a Cypriot MEP from the European People’s Party (EPP), was among the MEPs who co-signed an amendment calling for the programme to take account of the particular circumstances of island countries. The amendment says geographical remoteness, permanent insularity and connectivity constraints should not result in reduced opportunities or unequal access to Erasmus+ funding. Fourlas is a substitute member of the Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee and has been involved in the Erasmus+ file. A separate amendment he co-signed calls for simplified funding mechanisms to take account of living and subsistence costs in the host country. What changes? Under Parliament’s proposed changes, the next Erasmus+ programme would be significantly larger, with MEPs seeking €47.39 billion compared with the Commission’s €40.8 billion proposal. The programme would also have clearer funding allocations across education and training, youth and volunteering, and sport, while mobility grants would take greater account of differences in housing costs, inflation and purchasing power between countries and regions. MEPs want at least one in five participants to be people with fewer opportunities, while the rules would also explicitly recognise the particular challenges faced by island countries, including geographical remoteness and connectivity. The proposal would broaden Erasmus+ by incorporating the existing European Solidarity Corps, strengthen its role in supporting teachers and trainers, and, for the first time, allow the programme to facilitate mobility for athletes in grassroots sport rather than focusing primarily on sports staff and organisations. The committee also wants Erasmus+ grants to remain conditional on respect for the EU’s financial interests and the values set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. So, what exactly is Erasmus+? Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship programme for education , training, youth and sport. It is best known for allowing students to spend part of their studies in another European country, but its scope is considerably wider. The programme also supports vocational education and training, school exchanges, adult education, youth projects, volunteering and cooperation between educational institutions and organisations. Since its creation in 1987, around 17 million people have taken part in the programme. Its 40th anniversary will come in 2027. The current programme runs from 2021 to 2027. The legislation now being negotiated would establish the framework for the 2028-2034 programme. What happens next? Tuesday’s vote does not mean the new Erasmus+ budget or rules are final. The full European Parliament still needs to vote on the committee’s position. If Parliament adopts it, negotiations with the Council of the EU representing member states can begin. The Council agreed its own position in May, meaning the eventual programme will be the product of negotiations between Parliament and national governments, with the Commission also involved. The next major test will therefore be the plenary vote and, after that, the negotiations over how much money the EU is ultimately willing to put behind its flagship mobility programme. (Sources: Brussels Times, Erasmus+) Read more: 40,000 free European travel passes up for grabs — and Cypriots get free flights included