The future of the Erasmus+ programme

13.7.2017

Question for oral answer O-000062/2017
to the Commission
Rule 128
Petra Kammerevert, on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education

2017 marks the 30th anniversary of what is undoubtedly one of the EU’s most successful and widely acknowledged programmes – Erasmus. Over the last 30 years the programme has undergone a profound transformation and has had an impact on the personal and professional lives of some 9 000 000 students, apprentices, volunteers, teachers, staff, educators and youth workers.

The programme’s funding was increased by 40 % under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF) and a supplementary budgetary increase is expected for the remaining years prior to 2020. However, it is still only accessible to a very limited number of European citizens (by way of illustration, only about 5 % of young people in the EU have benefited from the programme according to Commission data) and a significant number of high-quality projects are being denied funding owing to insufficient resources. This unfortunate situation has created a sense of frustration since the programme is falling short of EU citizens’ high expectations.

Consequently, and particularly so in the current political context, the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus+ programme should not only be a moment for celebration, but also an opportunity to reflect on how the functioning of the programme can be improved so as to have an even more significant impact on the daily lives of EU citizens and our young people in particular.

Against this backdrop, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. In view of its mid-term review and the upcoming negotiations on the next generation of the programme post-2020, what quantitative and qualitative changes are needed in order to make the programme more inclusive and accessible to a wider number of EU citizens? Which elements should be discarded, improved, strengthened or introduced?

2. There seems to be wide political support for an even higher level of ambition for the new generation of the programme beyond 2020, in particular with regard to student mobility. In parallel, the programme is expanding, providing support to new schemes and policy initiatives (for example, Erasmus Pro and the European Solidarity Corps). In the Commission’s view, what financial and budgetary reforms are needed to enable this flagship EU programme to reach its ambitious goals?