Erasmus programme for education, training, youth and sport 2021–2027

PURPOSE: to establish the Erasmus programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2021-2027.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the Erasmus programme already enables millions of young Europeans to study, train or learn abroad while broadening their experience and awareness of Europe, and increasing their future chances on the labour market.

It is one of the Union's most visible achievements.

In its Communication adopted on 2 May 2018, the Commission proposed to put more emphasis on youth in the context of the next multiannual financial framework, notably by doubling the size of the Erasmus+ programme 2014-2020.

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 14 September 2017 stressed that the future programme should aim to be accessible to all young people and that these higher ambitions should be reflected in an increase in the budget for the next programming period.

In a context of rapid and profound changes induced by technological revolution and globalisation, the Commission considers it essential to invest in learning mobility and exchanges within the framework of a significantly reinforced, inclusive and extended programme.

The ambition for the next programme goes hand in hand with the Commission's vision to work towards a European Education Area by 2025 empowering young people and promoting a European identity through youth, education and culture policies.

The programme is one of the funding instruments under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework aiming at investing in people, social cohesion and values.

CONTENT: the proposed Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the Erasmus programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2021-2027 which will succeed the Erasmus+ 2014-2020 programme established by Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council. It lays down the objectives of the programme, the budget for the period 2021-2027, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.

The programme aims to support learning mobility opportunities that contribute to the personal, educational, civic and professional development of individuals. It shall also support cooperation between stakeholders at organisational and policy level with a view to foster inclusion, excellence, creativity and innovation in education, training, youth and sport.

Objectives: in particular, the proposed new programme shall:

• be accessible to a larger number of people: the programme shall support all categories of learners, whether they are in higher education, general education, vocational education or training, adult education, non-formal learning, youth and active participation activities. The goal is to triple the number of participants;
• a broader focus on people from all social backgrounds: the programme shall further facilitate the participation of people with fewer opportunities, including people with disabilities and migrants, as well as EU citizens living in remote areas. Mobility opportunities for students, people in vocational training, apprentices and young people should be extended;
• help Europeans to acquire new skills: the programme shall support activities to equip citizens with the necessary knowledge, skills and competences, including language skills, in a lifelong learning perspective. It shall pay greater attention to digital skills and future-oriented areas such as climate change, clean energy, artificial intelligence, robotics, data analysis, arts/design, etc.
• address a wider target group both within and beyond the EU: mobility and cooperation with third countries shall be enhanced through a combination of physical and virtual mobility and the use of more flexible learning mobility formats to meet the needs of certain target groups, such as adult learners. The programme shall also facilitate the participation of small scale and grassroots organisations;
• promote a European identity: the programme shall encourage youth participation in Europe’s democratic life by raising awareness about common European values, including fundamental rights, bringing together young people and decision-makers at local, national and EU level and contribute to the European integration process. A new initiative called DiscoverEU shall give young people the opportunity to discover other EU countries. The programme would also contribute to promoting common European values through sport, good governance and integrity in sport;
• strengthen the Union's relations with the rest of the world: intensify international mobility and cooperation with third countries - in particular enlargement, neighbourhood, industrialised and emerging countries - in order to support institutions and organisations in Europe in facing the challenges of globalisation.

Key actions: the proposal defines specific objectives for each of the three action areas of the programme (education and training, youth and sport). Each of these three areas would be structured around three key actions: ‘learning mobility’ (key action 1); ‘cooperation among organisations and institutions’ (key action 2) and ‘support to policy development and cooperation’ (key action 3).

In order to simplify requirements for beneficiaries, it is proposed to use simplified grants in the form of lump-sums, unit-costs and flat-rate funding should be used to the maximum possible extent. The future Erasmus monitoring and evaluation framework shall follow an approach based on continuous monitoring to assess the progress towards achieving the output and results targets of the programme.

Proposed budget: EUR 30 billion for the period 2021-2027, according to the following indicative breakdown:

• EUR 24.94 billion for actions in the field of education and training;
• EUR 3.10 billion for actions in the youth field;
• EUR 550 million for actions in the field of sport;
• and at least EUR 960 million as a contribution to the operating costs of the national agencies.