The reaction of the Erasmus Student Network on the Erasmus+ 2021-2027 budget proposal from May, 27th, 2020

On the 27th of May 2020, a new proposal for the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027)  was presented by the European Commission. It is intended to “protect lives and livelihoods, repair the Single Market, as well as to build a lasting and prosperous recovery”, according to the Commission. In the paragraphs below, we share our reactions to the budget and in particular the part that refers to the future Erasmus+ Programme.

The proposed budget (24,6 billion euros) for Erasmus+ is less than what the European Commission put forward in 2018 (30 billion euros) but higher than the one discussed by the European Council in February 2020 (21, 2  billion euros). The lowered budget for Erasmus+ was quickly criticised by the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee (CULT). The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) stands by the idea of strengthening the programme and firmly believes that an increased investment in EU youth programmes will contribute to societal progress through civic engagement, mobility, volunteering, and cooperation. More specifically, Erasmus+ is a vital EU programme aiming at empowering young people and promoting a European identity through youth, education, and training abroad, while broadening the participants’ experiences and awareness of Europe, and increasing their future chances in the job market. 

Altering the budget of the programme should come with adjusting the targets and priorities set. The allocated larger budget compared to the Erasmus+ programme of 2014-2020  will support a wider and increased participation, but it will not triple the number of participants to 12 million people,  the target initially set by the European Commission for the new 2021-2027 programme. 

A key objective of the new programme is to reach more young people from diverse backgrounds and increasing participation of underrepresented groups. The proposed budget can boost the diversity of participation, but reaching this objective will highly depend on the initiatives established to ensure easier access and participation, through diversifying support and formats of mobility. Especially during the aftermath of COVID-19, it is crucial that the measures to ease the financial impacts are sufficient and do not constrain opportunities for students and youth.

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