Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. With its €14.7 billion budget for 2014-2020, it contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion.
25 August 2021
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Zoom on the EU’s ERASMUS+ programme
Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. With its €14.7 billion budget for 2014-2020, it contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion.
Contrary to popular belief, the Erasmus+ programme is not limited to students only, but to a wider range of beneficiaries. It is also aimed at professionals (education and training), trainees, young people and youth workers. Organisations, for their part, can carry out a number of development and networking activities to achieve innovative results or exchange good practices.
2019 open calls for proposals
In view of project leaders’ keen interest in the Erasmus+ programme, the European Commission increased the budget for the 2019 calls for proposals in order to extend the number of eligible projects for funding. This led to a favorable increase in the selection rate compared to 2018 with +30% in the school sector, +40% for adult education and +53% for higher education partnerships.
Calls for proposals for partnership and mobility projects in the youth field are still open. For example, until 16 May, a call for the Mobility Charter for Education and Vocational Training is open. It aims to encourage organisations to further develop their European internationalisation strategies. The publication of the next programme guide is scheduled for the third quarter of 2019.
A tripled budget for the 2021-2027 programming period
For the new programming period, the European Parliament is announcing a tripled budget with a focus on disadvantaged people. The members of Parliament also proposed to increase the links with other European programmes in order to benefit from more co-financing.
New Erasmus+ activities 2021-2027:
A redistribution of the budget is planned for mobility programmes in favor of new beneficiaries: childcare assistants, early childhood educators, young athletes and sports coaches. Exchanges linked to vocational training, particularly in cross-border regions, are also one of the priorities of the new programme, with a budget also on the rise.
Tripled but…insufficient budget?
In her speech in April 2018, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education in the European Parliament, Mrs Kammerevert, pointed out that the budget for 2014-2020 was insufficient. Indeed, only 4% of young Europeans have been able to benefit from learning mobility. Currently, the objective is to offer this opportunity to at least one ouf of three young Europeans. To achieve this, the Commission estimates that a budget of €90 billion would be necessary, unlike the €30 billion announced.
As a European success story that has had a decisive impact on the lives of around nine million students, apprentices, pupils, volunteers, teachers, employees and educators…does not the Erasmus+ programme deserve a budget that matches its ambitions?
Hickmah Tagaully
25 August 2021