REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down provisions for the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“United Kingdom”) from the European Union

21.2.2019 - (COM(2019)0065 – C8-0040/2019 – 2019/0030(COD)) - ***I

Committee on Culture and Education
Rapporteur: Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
    (Simplified procedure – Rule 50(2) of the Rules of Procedure)


Procedure : 2019/0030(COD)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
A8-0082/2019
Texts tabled :
A8-0082/2019
Debates :
Texts adopted :

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down provisions for the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“United Kingdom”) from the European Union

(COM(2019)0065 – C8‑0040/2019 – 2019/0030(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2019)0065),

–  having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 165(4) and 166(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C8‑0040/2019),

–  having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  after consulting the European Economic and Social Committee,

–  after consulting the Committee of the Regions,

–  having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A8-0082/2019),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Amendment    1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 5 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(5a)  Since the objective of this Regulation, namely to allow for the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities involving the United Kingdom and which have started at the latest on the date on which the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty of the European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

Amendment    2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 5 b (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(5b)  In view of the need to ensure, prior to the date of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union, the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme, it was considered appropriate to provide for an exception to the eight-week period referred to in Article 4 of Protocol No 1 on the role of national parliaments in the European Union, annexed to the Treaty on European Union, to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community.

Amendment    3

Proposal for a regulation

Article 4 – paragraph 2

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union.

It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union. However, this Regulation shall not apply if a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union has entered into force by that date.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

On 30 January 2019, the European Commission presented a proposal to provide for contingency measures for the Erasmus+ programme in the event of a no-deal Brexit (i.e. the UK leaving the Union on 29 March 2019 without a withdrawal agreement in place). The proposal is in line with the Commission’s 19 December 2018 Contingency Action Plan and aims to ensure that, should there be no withdrawal agreement between the EU and the UK at the point of the UK’s departure, people participating in Erasmus+ could complete their exchange programme without interruption, without losing credits and with continued financial support. The Commission estimates that 14,000 EU-27 learners are currently in the UK and 7,000 UK learners in the EU. It would apply only to mobility actions and only to those that have started prior to the UK’s departure. It is therefore a temporary measure. While it could apply for a maximum of 12 months in theory (the maximum period of an Erasmus+ exchange is 12 months), in most cases it would apply until the end of the current academic year. As is clear from the Proposal for a Council Regulation on ‘Measures concerning the implementation and financing of the general budget of the Union in 2019 in relation to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union’, the measure will not apply to projects funded under Erasmus+ (e.g. strategic partnerships) unless the UK continues to contribute to the EU budget for 2019.

While the Rapporteur continues to hope that an orderly withdrawal agreement can be reached, he nonetheless welcomes the Commission’s initiative to give certainty to those learners who have invested time and often money in an Erasmus+ exchange and need to be able to complete it on the same basis on which they began. This is incredibly important for all concerned. Since the proposal is time-sensitive - it must be signed into law by 29 March 2019 - the Rapporteur proposes to leave the Commission text unchanged, save for two small additions.

Firstly, owing to the urgency of the procedure, it is not possible to respect the eight-week period for national parliaments to respond to legislative proposals under Article 4 of Protocol (No. 1) to the TEU, TFEU and EURATOM Treaty. This must be stated in a Recital in line with the relevant Article and he proposes an amendment to achieve this aim. Secondly, it is important to state in Article 4 that the Regulation does not enter into force if a withdrawal agreement is in place and a second amendment ensures that this is done.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title

Continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (”United Kingdom”) from the European Union

References

COM(2019)0065 – C8-0040/2019 – 2019/0030(COD)

Date submitted to Parliament

30.1.2019

 

 

 

Committee responsible

       Date announced in plenary

CULT

30.1.2019

 

 

 

Rapporteurs

       Date appointed

Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski

4.2.2019

 

 

 

Simplified procedure - date of decision

4.2.2019

Date adopted

20.2.2019

 

 

 

Date tabled

21.2.2019

Last updated: 27 February 2019
Legal notice - Privacy policy