European Parliament: Approves the Erasmus + program for the period 2021-2022

The plenary of the European Parliament yesterday approved the EU emblematic program Erasmus+ for the period 2021-2027, which promotes European identity and is implemented in youth and sports and in the fields of education, training, reports APE.

Its funding for the period 2021-2027 will almost double (exceeding 28 billion euros from various sources) compared to the previous seven years (14.7 billion euros), the European Parliament said in a statement.

In the plenary debate, most of the speakers referred to the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of young people and “emphasized the importance of Erasmus +, which has been rated by citizens as the most successful of the EU programs for future generations”.

More opportunities to participate

The new Erasmus + will provide more tools and resources to support social inclusion. To make use of them, the European Commission and the Member States will need to develop action plans that will improve access to learning and mobility for people with fewer opportunities. For example, people living with disabilities, living in poverty, in remote areas, people from immigrant families, and other vulnerable groups.

Those who do not have sufficient means to cover the initial costs of participating in the program (such as buying a train ticket and securing accommodation) can receive an additional scholarship, even in the form of a deposit. Applications will not be rejected due to higher costs if these costs are related to measures aimed at social inclusion.

Mobility for adult learners

Compared to the previous Erasmus +, the new program will now also cover students participating in adult education programs in another EU country for periods of up to six months. It will help people of all ages and backgrounds to acquire new life and work skills, so that they are better prepared to face the changes brought about by the impending green and digital transition, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

The new Erasmus + will be simpler and easier to manage for those who apply, with more user-friendly information systems and less bureaucracy. The program will provide a special funding system for “small-scale partnerships”, which will target smaller organizations, such as youth associations and sports clubs.

It will also count on contributing to the EU ‘s climate spending targets. The program will also reduce its environmental footprint, for example by motivating participants to use climate-friendly means of transport.

Innovative training models

The DiscoverEU initiative is now part of Erasmus +. Thanks to this initiative, young people can apply for a free pass that allows them to travel across Europe for educational purposes (eg intensive foreign language courses, participation in museum workshops) and thus discover the cultural and linguistic diversity of Europe.

The “European Universities” initiative will also allow students to obtain a degree by combining studies in different EU countries. A third initiative is the “Professional Excellence Centers”, which will create local skills development ecosystems with international connections.

“Erasmus + has undergone significant changes and improvements in order to continue to enhance its sense of belonging in Europe and to provide better employment opportunities for Europeans,” said rapporteur Milan Zver (EPP, Slovenia).

According to Sabine Verheugen (EPP, Germany), chair of the Culture and Education Committee, “because of the pandemic, young people and those who want to learn, study and meet new people face enormous challenges. The situation is even more difficult for those who belong to marginalized groups of the population. Now more than ever it is important for Europe to reach these people, wherever they are. No one should be left out. That is our goal with the new generation of Erasmus +. “

The regulation provides for the retroactive effect of the new Erasmus + from 1 January 2021. The European Commission and several Member States have already started application procedures and have published calls for proposals.

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