Harmonisation of access to higher education in Europe

27.9.2018

Question for written answer E-004908-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Jérôme Lavrilleux (PPE)

In the Rome Declaration of 25 March 2017, European Union leaders confirmed their commitment to young people. In September 2018, millions of new students will be entering their first year of higher education and, despite the development of the three-level LMD system (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate), it is clear that university entrance conditions are not the same throughout the Union.

In addition, the success of the Erasmus+ programme has shown that the option to study abroad was integral to freedom of movement and, even more significantly, to the emergence of a new generation which is hugely enthusiastic about Europe and which is now actively involved in the European integration process.

However, students only take part in the Erasmus scheme in the third year of their undergraduate degree and the programme does not apply to first-year students who would like to study abroad. Red tape can also discourage students from studying abroad outside the Erasmus scheme.

As research universities are at the heart of the innovation process, does the Commission think that new universities should be set up in order to make Europe more competitive more quickly in fast-growing sectors, such as IT and biotechnology?

As European research universities are part of the effort to harmonise access to higher education in Europe, is the Commission also planning to harmonise the administrative formalities involved, in order to boost student mobility outside the Erasmus scheme?