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The EU Commission asked for increased overall budget for Erasmus+ programme post 2020
Increasing the overall budget for Erasmus+ programme post 2020, channelling additional resources from other EU Funds, stronger focus on lifelong learning, apprentices´ mobility and informal education were the main issues raised on 14 September during the State of the Union debate in which took part the President of the EU Commission Claude Juncker. A substantial increase in funding for the next Erasmus+ budget would unlock its full potential. The members of the parliament proposed and approved, by show of hand, the use of regional or social funds to increase grants.
Parliament made clear that the Erasmus+ programme must be expanded significantly after 2020 to reach more and more diverse groups of people. To that end, its budget must be increased and funds must be used more strategically. During the debate, MEPs underlined the risk that a large number of high-quality projects could be rejected due to a lack of resources under the Erasmus programme. They objected to any attempts to use money from Erasmus+ for other new initiatives, such as the European Solidarity Corps. Petra Kammerevert, President of the culture committee declared: « In the medium term, we should give all people under 27 the chance to participate to the programme».
The resolution also recommended that:
- Member States should make more efforts to ensure easy recognition of European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits gained during the Erasmus mobility
- the Erasmus+ programme should focus more on lifelong learning, including in formal and informal education
- Erasmus+ Vocational Education and Training (VET) must be modernised, accessible and fit for the digital age; the mobility for VET learners and apprenticeship must be better.
Parliament would support a post-Brexit agreement allowing continued mobility for students and teachers between the EU and the UK.
Source: EU Parliament press office