The European Parliament adopted by 632 votes to 29, with 30 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing "ERASMUS FOR ALL" - The Union Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport.
Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of a compromise negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council.
Name of the programme: the name of this Programme has been revised. It is proposed that Programme be known under the name of "Erasmus+". The other names have been maintained: Comenius, Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig.
The Programme shall cover the following fields:
- education and training at all levels;
- youth (Youth in Action), particularly in the context of non-formal and informal learning;
- sport, in particular grassroots sport.
General objectives of the programme: the general objectives have been clarified. The Programme shall contribute to the achievement of: (i) the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, including the headline education target; (ii) the objective of developing the European dimension in sport; (iii) the promotion of European values.
Chapter II: Education and training: this strand of the programme has also been revised. The Programme aims to:
- improve the level of key competences and skills, with particular regard to their relevance for the labour market and their contribution to a cohesive society ;
- foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and internationalisation at the level of education and training institutions;
- promote the emergence and raise awareness of a European lifelong learning area designed to complement policy reforms at national level;
- enhance the international dimension of education and training, in particular through cooperation between Union and partner-country institutions in the field of VET and in higher education;
- improve the teaching and learning of languages and to promote the Union's broad linguistic diversity and intercultural awareness;
- promote excellence in teaching and research activities in European integration.
Learning mobility of individuals: the following activities shall be supported:
- the mobility of students in all cycles of higher education and of students, apprentices and pupils in vocational education and training. This mobility may take the form of studying at a partner institution or traineeships or gaining experience as an apprentice, assistant or trainee abroad. Degree mobility at Master's level may be supported through the Student Loan Guarantee Facility;
- the mobility of staff, under the form of teaching or assistantships or participation in professional development activities abroad.
- On partnerships, emphasis has been given to partnerships between the world of work and education and training institutions.
- On support for policy reforms, focus was on the alignment of training with the European framework for quality assurance in education and training.
- As regards the Jean Monnet activities, the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA); Maastricht the Academy of European Law, Trier; the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, Odense; the International Centre for European Training (CIFE), Nice have been added to the list of European institutions receiving support.
Chapter III: Youth: a new chapter has been created with a series of specific objectives and well-defined types of actions:
Specific objectives:
- improve the level of key competences and skills of young people, including those with fewer opportunities, as well as to promote participation in democratic life in Europe and the labour market, active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and solidarity;
- foster quality improvements in youth work, in particular through enhanced cooperation between organisations in the youth field and/or other stakeholders;
- complement policy reforms at local, regional and national level and to support the development of knowledge and evidence-based youth policy;
- enhance the international dimension of youth activities and the role of youth workers and organisations as support structures for young people.
Actions of the Programme: the Programme shall pursue its objectives through the following types of actions:
- learning mobility of individuals;
- cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices;
- support for policy reform.
Chapter IV: Sport: Parliament insisted on focussing on grassroot sports as well as the role of projects in fighting intolerance and discrimination.
Financial provisions: the financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme as from 1 January 2014 is set at EUR 14 774 524 000 from 2014-2020.
The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the European Parliament and the Council within the limits of the multiannual financial framework. The amount shall be allocated to the actions of the Programme as follows, with a margin of flexibility not exceeding 5 % of each of the allocated amounts:
- 77.5% to education and training, from which the following minimum allocations shall be assigned: (i) 43% to higher education, representing 33.3% of the total budget; (ii) 22% to vocational education and training, representing 17% of the total budget; (iii) 15% to school education, representing 11.6% of the total budget; (iv) 5% to adult learning;
- 10% to youth;
- 3.5% to the Student Loan Guarantee Facility;
- 1.9% to Jean Monnet;
- 1.8% to sport, of which no more than 10 % to the activity mentioned under point (b) of Article 17(1);
- 3.4% as operating grants to national agencies; and
- 1.9% to cover administrative expenditure.
Of the allocations, at least 63% shall be allocated to learning mobility of individuals.
European Student Loan Guarantee Facility: the programme allocation provides for the financing of a European Student Loan Facility to provide partial guarantees for loans on favourable conditions to mobile master students. The guarantee shall cover new eligible student loans up to a maximum of EUR 12 000 for a one-year programme and up to EUR 18 000 for a programme lasting up to two years, or their equivalent in local currency. This additional and innovative tool for learning mobility should neither replace any current, nor impede the development of any future, grant or loan system supporting student mobility at local, national or Union level. The management of the Student Loan Guarantee Facility at Union level shall be entrusted to the European Investment Fund (EIF).
Opening of the programme: it is also provided for the opening of the programme to countries covered by the Neighbourhood Policy that have concluded agreements with the Union.
Individuals from an overseas country or territory (OCT) and competent public and/or private bodies and institutions from an OCT may participate in the programmes.
Coherence and complementarity: all the actions must seek to strengthen the synergies with the Union’s other programmes, in particular with those relating to culture and the media, employment, research and innovation, industry and enterprise, cohesion and development policy, as well as enlargement policy and initiatives, instruments and strategies in the field of regional policy and external relations.
Reduction in the administrative burden: Parliament stressed the importance of reducing the administrative burden that comes with managing EU projects. It insisted on taking measures aimed at resolving issues that give rise to difficulties in obtaining visas.
National agencies: in cases where there is more than one national agency, Member States shall establish an appropriate mechanism for the coordinated management of the implementation of the Programme at national level, particularly with a view to ensuring coherent and cost-efficient implementation of the Programme and effective contact with the Commission in this respect, and to facilitating the possible transfer of funds between agencies, thereby allowing for flexibility and better use of funds allocated to Member States. Each Member State shall determine how it organises the relationship between its national authority and the national agency, including tasks such as the establishment of the national agency's annual work programme.
Annexes: for the internal coherence of the text, a new annex incorporates all evaluation indicators in relation to each specific objective as set out in body of the text. Provision is also made for a new annex providing technical information concerning the European Student Loan Guarantee Facility.
Delegated acts: in order to place the management of tasks at the most appropriate level, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts but only in respect of providing for additional actions to be managed by the national agencies. The power to adopt delegated acts shall be conferred on the Commission for the duration of the Programme.