DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Erasmus+: the Union Programme for education and training, youth and sport and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013

(14148/1/2020 – C9‑0135/2021 – 2018/0191(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Council position at first reading (14148/1/2020 – C9‑0135/2021),

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 17 October 2018[1],

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 6 February 2019[2],

– having regard to its position at first reading[3] on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2018)0367),

– having regard to Article 294(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Culture and Education (A9-0159/2021),

1. Approves the Council position at first reading;

2. Takes note of the Commission statement annexed to this resolution, which will be published in the C series of the Official Journal of the European Union;

3. Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

4. Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

5. Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication, together with the Commission statement thereon, in the Official Journal of the European Union;

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

ANNEX TO THE LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Statement by the European Commission on the specific allocations for the platforms of Centres of vocational excellence

 

Without prejudice to the powers of the legislative and budgetary authority, the Commission commits to allocating an indicative amount of EUR 400 million in current prices to support platforms of Centres for vocational excellence over the whole duration of the programme, provided that the interim evaluation of the programme confirms a positive assessment of the results of the action.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

1. Erasmus+ - a European Union flagship programme

The Erasmus+ Programme is a European Union success story, with an ever-increasing number of people having participated since the scheme’s inception in 1987 and the Programme repeatedly appearing amongst the Union’s primary achievements in Eurobarometer opinion polls. Erasmus+ forges a sense of European belonging, enabling mobility of learners and staff and building cultural bridges; it improves employment prospects for its participants and it fosters cooperation amongst education and training institutions, youth organisations and sports clubs and federations across the continent and around the world. Against this backdrop, the further strengthening of this particular programme – both financially and otherwise – had been a priority for the European Parliament throughout the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027.

2. Inter-institutional negotiations

Following the adoption of Parliament’s first reading position on 28 March 2019, inter-institutional negotiations took place from October 2019 to December 2020. After five rounds of trilogues, a provisional agreement was reached with the German Council Presidency on 11 December 2020.

The text of the provisional agreement was presented to and subsequently confirmed by the Committee on Culture and Education on 11 January 2021. On the basis of the Committee’s approval, the Chair of the CULT Committee, in a letter to the Council Presidency, indicated that she would recommend to the Plenary that the Council’s position should be approved without amendments, provided that it is in conformity with the provisional agreement reached between the two institutions. Following legal-linguistic verification, the Council on 13 April 2021 formally adopted its position in accordance with the provisional agreement.

3. Recommendation

As Council’s position is in conformity with the provisional agreement reached during the inter-institutional negotiations, the Rapporteur recommends endorsing it without amendments.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	‘Erasmus’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport
References	14148/1/2020 – C9-0135/2021 – 2018/0191(COD)
Date of Parliament’s first reading – P number	28.3.2019 T8-0324/2019
Commission proposal	COM(2018)0367 - C8-0233/2018
Receipt of Council position at first reading announced in plenary	26.4.2021
Committee responsible  Date announced in plenary	CULT 26.4.2021
Rapporteurs  Date appointed	Milan Zver 18.7.2019
Discussed in committee	5.11.2019	4.12.2019	21.1.2020
Date adopted	10.5.2021
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	29 0 0
Members present for the final vote	Asim Ademov, Ilana Cicurel, Gilbert Collard, Gianantonio Da Re, Laurence Farreng, Tomasz Frankowski, Romeo Franz, Alexis Georgoulis, Hannes Heide, Irena Joveva, Petra Kammerevert, Niyazi Kizilyürek, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Dace Melbārde, Victor Negrescu, Niklas Nienaß, Peter Pollák, Marcos Ros Sempere, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Monica Semedo, Andrey Slabakov, Michaela Šojdrová, Sabine Verheyen, Maria Walsh, Salima Yenbou, Theodoros Zagorakis, Milan Zver
Substitutes present for the final vote	Heléne Fritzon, Łukasz Kohut
Date tabled	12.5.2021