On March 28, the regulation for Erasmus+ 2021-2027 has been passed by the European Parliament. While the European Parliament and by now also the European Commission have asked to triple the budget for the next program cycle, the Council of Ministers insists on doubling the funding. In order to resolve this conflict, the trilogues started in October 2019. Finland is currently leading the negotiations in the scope of its presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The European Students Union and the Erasmus Student Network urge the Council of Ministers to align with the proposal of tripling the funding as put forward by the European Parliament and Commission. More than ever it is a political responsibility to take the European project forward by investing in one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of Europe, benefiting many more generations to come.

“As the voice of all European students in higher education and within the Erasmus+ programme, we would like to stress that continued investment in Erasmus+ is needed in order to reach the European wide target of 20% mobile students,” says Sebastian Berger, Vice President of ESU.

“We believe that it is a political imperative to take this incredible European success story forward by securing sufficient funding for the next cycle.” Kostis Giannidis, President of ESN declares that “tripling the funding of the next programme is crucial to ensure more equal access for a larger group of beneficiaries from all ages, especially those from disadvantaged groups, who are still underrepresented within Erasmus+.” Giannidis affirms that “the programme needs to benefit the many, not only a few. Increased accessibility and a focus on creating an inclusive program have to be at the heart of all policy considerations.”

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