Parliament backs €47.39 billion Erasmus+ budget and wider access

The European Parliament has today adopted its position on the next Erasmus+ programme, calling for a €47.39 billion budget as part of the EU’s long-term budget for 2028 to 2034, up from the €40.83 billion proposed by the European Commission.

For Renew Europe, Erasmus+ is one of the European Union’s greatest achievements, and expanding the programme must come with funding that matches its ambitions. It connects people across borders and supports learning in classrooms, workplaces and communities.

Renew Europe backed measures to widen access across higher education, vocational training, schools and adult learning, while protecting opportunities in youth work and volunteering, and opening Erasmus+ mobility to athletes, coaches and people involved in community sport. These include a target for people with fewer opportunities to make up at least 20% of all mobility participants, alongside financial support that reflects differences in living and housing costs between host countries, regions and cities. Parliament is also calling for stronger support for the European Universities alliances, which Renew Europe has championed since its launch in 2019.

Parliament’s position also sets minimum shares of the budget for different parts of the programme, giving participants and organisations greater certainty and strengthening transparency over how the funds will be allocated. It also protects the visibility and accessibility of volunteering and solidarity activities as the European Solidarity Corps is brought into Erasmus+.

The text adopted by Parliament would ensure that future breaches of the EU’s founding values, including democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, carry consequences. In a Renew Europe win, participants and beneficiaries could face monitoring and sanctions, expanding enforcement beyond financial fraud.