(1)

Investing in learning mobility for all, regardless of background and means, and in cooperation and innovative policy development in the fields of education and training, youth and sport is key to building inclusive, cohesive and resilient societies and sustaining the competitiveness of the Union, and is all the more important in the context of rapid and profound change driven by technological revolution and globalisation. Furthermore, such an investment also contributes to strengthening European identity and values and to a more democratic Union.

(2)

In its communication of 14 November 2017 entitled ‘Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture’, the Commission put forward its vision to work towards the establishment, by 2025, of a European Education Area in which learning would not be hampered by borders. That communication set out a vision for a Union in which spending time in another Member State for the purposes of studying and learning in any form or setting would become the standard, where, in addition to one’s mother tongue, speaking two other languages would become the norm and where people would have a strong sense of their identity as Europeans, of Europe’s cultural heritage and its diversity. In that context, the Commission emphasised the need to boost the tried-and-tested Erasmus+ Programme in all categories of learners that it already covers with the aim of reaching out to learners with fewer opportunities.

(3)

The importance of education, training and youth for the future of the Union is reflected in the communication of the Commission of 14 February 2018 entitled ‘A new, modern Multiannual Financial Framework for a European Union that delivers efficiently on its priorities post-2020’. That communication stressed the need to deliver on the commitments made by the Member States at the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth held in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017, including through the full implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights solemnly proclaimed and signed on 17 November 2017 by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission (4) and Principle 1 thereof, which relates to education, training and lifelong learning. That communication stressed the need to step up mobility and exchanges, including through a substantially strengthened, inclusive and extended Erasmus+ Programme, as had been called for by the European Council in its conclusions of 14 December 2017.

(4)

Principle 1 of the European Pillar of Social Rights provides that everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market. The European Pillar of Social Rights also makes clear the importance of good quality early childhood education and care and of ensuring equal opportunities for all.

(5)

In the Bratislava Declaration, signed on 16 September 2016, leaders of 27 Member States stressed their determination to provide better opportunities for youth. In the Rome Declaration, signed on 25 March 2017, leaders of 27 Member States and of the European Council, European Parliament and Commission pledged to work towards a Union in which young people receive the best education and training and can study and find jobs across the continent and which preserves our cultural heritage and promotes cultural diversity.

(6)

The report of the Commission of 31 January 2018 on the mid-term evaluation of the Erasmus+ programme (2014-2020) established by Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) (the ‘2014-2020 Programme’) confirmed that the creation of a single programme for education and training, youth and sport had resulted in significant simplification, rationalisation and synergies in the management of that Programme but concluded that further improvements were necessary to further consolidate the efficiency gains of the 2014-2020 Programme. In the consultations for that mid-term evaluation and on the future programme, Member States and stakeholders made a strong call for continuity in the Erasmus+ Programme’s scope, architecture and delivery mechanisms, while calling for a number of improvements, such as making the Erasmus+ Programme more inclusive, simpler and more manageable for beneficiaries. Member States and stakeholders also expressed their full support for keeping the Erasmus+ Programme integrated and underpinned by the lifelong learning paradigm. In its resolution of 2 February 2017 on the implementation of Erasmus+ (6), the European Parliament welcomed the integrated structure of the 2014-2020 Programme and called on the Commission to exploit fully the lifelong learning dimension of that Programme by fostering and encouraging cross-sectoral cooperation in the Erasmus+ Programme. Member States and stakeholders also highlighted the need to strengthen further the international dimension of the Erasmus+ Programme.

(7)

The 2018 open public consultation on Union funding in the areas of values and mobility confirmed the key findings of the report on the mid-term evaluation of the 2014-2020 Programme and emphasised the need to make the future programme more inclusive, to continue to focus priorities on modernising education and training systems and to strengthen priorities on fostering European identity, active citizenship and participation in democratic life.

(8)

In its communication of 2 May 2018 entitled ‘A Modern Budget for a Union that Protects, Empowers and Defends - the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027’, the Commission called for greater investment in people and a stronger ‘youth’ focus in the next financial framework. In that communication, the Commission recognised that the Erasmus+ Programme has been one of the Union’s most visible success stories. In its communication of 27 May 2020 entitled ‘The EU budget powering the recovery plan for Europe’, the Commission recognised the role of the Erasmus+ Programme in making the Union more resilient and addressing socio-economic challenges. It also confirmed its commitment to a significantly strengthened Erasmus+ Programme. This would allow more people to move to another country to learn or work and would allow the Programme to focus on inclusiveness and on reaching more people with fewer opportunities.

(9)

In this context, it is necessary to establish Erasmus+, the Union Programme for education and training, youth and sport (the ‘Programme’), as the successor to the 2014-2020 Programme. The integrated nature of the 2014-2020 Programme covering learning in all contexts, whether formal, non-formal or informal, and at all stages of life should be reinforced to boost flexible learning paths, thereby allowing people to acquire and improve the knowledge, skills and competences that are necessary to develop as individuals and to face the challenges and make the most of the opportunities of the 21st century.

(10)

The Programme should be established for a period of seven years to align its duration with that of the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 (7) (the ‘2021-2027 MFF’).

(11)

The Programme should be equipped to become an even greater contributor to the implementation of the Union’s policy objectives and priorities in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. A coherent lifelong learning approach is central to managing the different transitions that people will face over the course of their lives. Such an approach should be encouraged through effective cross-sectoral cooperation. In taking such an approach forward, the Programme should maintain a close relationship with the overall strategic framework for Union policy cooperation in the fields of education and training and youth, including the policy agendas for schools, higher education, vocational education and training and adult learning, while reinforcing and developing new synergies with other related Union programmes and policy areas.

(12)

The Programme is a key component of building a European Education Area. Following on from its communication of 14 November 2017 entitled ‘Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture’, the Commission recalled, in its communication of 30 September 2020 on achieving the European Education Area by 2025, that the Erasmus+ Programme remains instrumental in achieving the objectives of quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning, and in preparing the Union to face the digital and green transitions. The Programme should be equipped to contribute to the successor of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training and the updated European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience established in the communication of the Commission of 1 July 2020 with a shared commitment to the strategic importance of skills, key competences and knowledge for sustaining jobs and supporting growth, competitiveness, innovation and social cohesion, in line with the Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 (8). The Programme should contribute to delivering on the Digital Education Action Plan established in the communication of the Commission of 30 September 2020 entitled ‘Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 – Resetting education and training for the digital age’. The Programme should respond to the necessary digital transformation of education and training, youth and sport. The Programme should also support Member States in reaching the goals of the Paris Declaration of 17 March 2015 on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education.

(13)

In line with the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 (9), the framework for European cooperation in the youth field for 2019-2027, based on the communication of the Commission of 22 May 2018 entitled ‘Engaging, connecting and empowering young people: a new EU Youth Strategy’, the Programme should support high-quality youth work, tools and systems for the training of youth workers, the validation of non-formal and informal learning and quality approaches to empower youth organisations. The Programme should support an inclusive and broad EU Youth Dialogue, the priorities of which are driven by young people’s needs.

(14)

The Programme should take into account the relevant European Union Work Plan for Sport, which is the cooperation framework at Union level in the field of sport. Consistency and complementarity should be ensured between the relevant European Union Work Plan for Sport and actions supported under the Programme in the field of sport. There is a need to focus, in particular, on grassroots sport, taking into account the important role that sports play in promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle, interpersonal relations, social inclusion and equality. The Programme should support the learning mobility of sport staff, primarily in grassroots sport. Staff in non-grassroots sport, including those engaged in dual sport and non-sport careers, can also enhance the learning impact and knowledge transfer for grassroots sport staff and organisations. The Programme should therefore be able to support learning mobility opportunities for staff in non-grassroots sport where the participation of such staff can benefit grassroots sport. The Programme should contribute to promoting common European values through sport, good governance and integrity in sport, sustainable development, and education, training and skills in and through sport. Not-for-profit sport events supported by the Programme should achieve a European dimension and impact.

(15)

The Programme should be able to support any field of study and should, in particular, contribute to strengthening the Union’s innovation capacity by supporting activities that help people develop the knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes they need in forward-looking study fields or disciplines such as science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), climate change, environmental protection, sustainable development, clean energy, artificial intelligence, robotics, data analysis, design and architecture, and digital and media literacy. Innovation can be fostered through all learning mobility and cooperation actions, whether directly or indirectly managed.

(16)

Synergies with the Horizon Europe Programme established by Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council (10) (‘Horizon Europe’) should ensure that combined resources from the Programme and Horizon Europe are used to support activities dedicated to strengthening and modernising European higher education institutions. Horizon Europe will, where appropriate, complement the Programme’s support for the European Universities initiative as part of the development of new joint and integrated long-term and sustainable strategies on education, research and innovation. Synergies with Horizon Europe will help to foster the integration of education and research, in particular in higher education institutions.

(17)

New and emerging technologies offer significant opportunities for learning and exchange and have proved of particular importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to physical learning mobility, which remains the core action of the Programme, virtual formats, such as virtual learning, should be promoted in order to complement or support physical learning mobility, to offer meaningful learning opportunities to those who are unable to move physically to a country other than their country of residence or to foster exchanges through innovative learning formats. Where relevant, virtual cooperation should be promoted under the Programme. The Commission should ensure that, where possible and appropriate, virtual learning tools developed under the Programme are made available to the wider public.

(18)

In fulfilling its objectives, the Programme should be more inclusive by improving participation among people with fewer opportunities. A range of measures could help to increase the participation in the Programme of people with fewer opportunities, including better and more targeted outreach, communication, advice and assistance, simplified procedures, more flexible learning mobility formats, and increased engagement with small organisations, in particular newcomer organisations and community-based grassroots organisations that work directly with disadvantaged learners of all ages. It is important to recognise that low levels of participation among people with fewer opportunities stem from different causes and depend on different contexts. Therefore, within a Union-wide framework of such measures aimed at increasing participation among people with fewer opportunities, inclusion action plans should be developed and tailored to the target groups and specific circumstances in each Member State.

(19)

In some cases, people with fewer opportunities are less likely to participate in the Programme for financial reasons, whether because of their economic situation or because of the higher participation costs that their specific situation generates, as is often the case for people with disabilities. In such cases, their participation could be facilitated with targeted financial support. The Commission should therefore ensure that such financial support measures are put in place, including through possible grant adjustments at national level. Additional costs associated with measures to facilitate inclusion should not constitute a ground for the rejection of an application.

(20)

In order to make the Programme more accessible for newcomer organisations and for organisations with smaller administrative capacity and to make the Programme more manageable for beneficiaries, a range of measures should be taken to simplify Programme procedures at implementation level. In that regard, Programme information technology systems should be user-friendly and provide simple access to the opportunities offered by the Programme. Similarly, the procedures put in place to implement the Programme should be consistent and simple and should be accompanied by high-quality support measures and information. To that end, regular meetings of the network of national agencies should be organised.

(21)

In its communication of 14 November 2017 entitled ‘Strengthening European identity through education and culture’, the Commission highlighted the pivotal role that education, culture and sport play in promoting active citizenship and common values among the youngest generations. Strengthening European identity and fostering the active participation of individuals and civil society in democratic processes is crucial for the future of Europe and democratic societies. Going abroad to study, learn, train and work or to participate in youth and sport activities contributes to strengthening that European identity in all its diversity. It reinforces the sense of being part of a cultural community and fosters intercultural learning, critical thinking and active citizenship among people of all ages. Those taking part in learning mobility activities should get involved in their local communities and engage with their host country local communities in order to share their experiences. The Programme should support activities linked to reinforcing all aspects of creativity in education, training and youth and enhancing individual key competences.

(22)

The Programme should only support actions and activities which present a potential European added value. The notion of European added value is to be understood broadly and can be demonstrated in different ways, such as where actions or activities have a transnational character, particularly with regard to learning mobility and cooperation aimed at achieving a sustainable systemic impact, complement or foster synergies with other programmes and policies at national, Union and international level, or contribute to the effective use of Union transparency and recognition tools.

(23)

The international dimension of the Programme should be boosted and aim to offer more opportunities for learning mobility, cooperation and policy dialogue with third countries not associated to the Programme. Building on the successful implementation of international higher education and youth activities under the predecessor programmes in the fields of education and training and youth, international learning mobility activities should be extended to other sectors, such as vocational education and training and sport. To increase the impact of those activities, it is important to enhance synergies between the Programme and the Union instruments for external action, such as the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument, established by a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009, and the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III), established by a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III). The Union instruments for external action should aim to increase opportunities, in particular for individuals and organisations from third countries not associated to the Programme, supporting, in particular, capacity-building in those countries, skills development and people-to-people exchanges, while offering more opportunities for cooperation, learning mobility and policy dialogue.

(24)

The basic architecture of the 2014-2020 Programme, which was divided into three chapters, namely education and training, youth and sport, and was structured around three key actions, has proved successful and should be maintained. Improvements in order to streamline and rationalise the actions supported by the Programme should be introduced. Stability and continuity should also be ensured in terms of management and implementation modes. Overall, at least 75 % of the Programme budget should be implemented under indirect management by the national agencies. This includes actions such as learning mobility in all fields of education and training, youth and sport and cooperation partnerships, including small-scale partnerships in the fields of education and training and youth. Where appropriate, specific arrangements regarding direct management should be put in place for actions involving Union-wide networks and European organisations under key actions 2 and 3, excluding small-scale partnerships.

(25)

The Programme should implement a set of actions in order to support learning mobility, cooperation among organisations and institutions, policy development and cooperation, and Jean Monnet actions. This Regulation should set out those actions and the descriptions thereof, including the activities that could be implemented under those actions in the course of the programming period.

(26)

The Programme should reinforce existing learning mobility opportunities, in particular in those sectors where the Programme could have the biggest efficiency gains, in order to broaden the reach of such opportunities and meet the high unmet demand. In particular, this should be done by increasing and facilitating learning mobility for higher education students, school pupils, adult education learners and vocational education and training learners, such as apprentices and trainees, including for purposes of upskilling and reskilling. Recent graduates and people who have recently obtained a vocational education and training qualification should be able to participate in learning mobility. The participation of recent graduates in learning mobility should be based on objective criteria, and equal treatment should be ensured. Learning mobility opportunities for young people participating in non-formal learning activities should also be extended to reach more young people. Learning mobility of staff in the fields of education and training, youth and sport should also be reinforced, considering its leverage effect. Learning mobility opportunities should be able to take various forms, including traineeships, apprenticeships, youth exchanges, school exchanges, teaching or participation in a professional development activity, and should be based on the specific needs of the different sectors. The Programme should support quality in learning mobility, including quality based on the principles set out in the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 (11) and the Council Recommendations of 28 June 2011 (12), 20 December 2012 (13), 15 March 2018 (14), 26 November 2018 (15) and 24 November 2020 (16).

(27)

In line with the vision of a true European Education Area, the Programme should also boost learning mobility and exchanges and promote the participation of higher education students in educational and cultural and sports activities by supporting the digitalisation of processes through, for example, the European Student Card initiative. In this context, the Commission should develop the European Student Card initiative, in particular for higher education students participating in the Programme. The European Student Card initiative could be an important step in making learning mobility for all a reality, enabling higher education institutions to send and receive more higher education students for the purpose of exchanges while still enhancing quality in the learning mobility of higher education students, and also facilitating their access to various services, such as libraries, transport and accommodation, before their physical arrival at the institution abroad.

(28)

The Programme should encourage the participation of young people in Europe’s democratic life, including by supporting activities that contribute to citizenship education and participation projects for young people to engage and learn to participate in civic society, thereby raising awareness of European common values, including fundamental rights, as well as European history and culture, bringing together young people and decision-makers at local, national and Union levels and contributing to the process of European integration.

(29)

Building on the evaluation and further development of the DiscoverEU initiative, which was launched as a preparatory action in 2018, the Programme should offer young people more opportunities to discover all destinations in Europe through learning experiences abroad. Young people, in particular those with fewer opportunities, should be given the chance to have a first-time, short-term individual or group experience travelling throughout Europe as part of an informal and non-formal educational activity that aims to foster their sense of belonging to the Union and to enable them to discover its cultural and linguistic diversity. Participants should be selected based on clear and transparent criteria. Implementing bodies should promote measures to ensure that the DiscoverEU initiative is inclusive and geographically balanced with regard to both the travel passes allocated and the Member States visited, and to support activities with a strong learning dimension. In this regard, through targeted measures, such as outreach activities, pre-departure information sessions and events for young people, the Programme should also promote the choice of less-visited Member States and peripheral regions. Other means of transport should be considered where rail transport is not available or is highly impractical, taking into account, in particular, the specific situation of the destination. The DiscoverEU initiative should seek to build links with relevant local, regional, national and European initiatives, such as the Union action entitled ‘European Capitals of Culture’, the European Youth Capitals, the European Volunteering Capitals and the European Green Capitals.

(30)

The learning of languages contributes to mutual understanding and mobility within and outside the Union, and language competences are essential life and job skills. Therefore, the Programme should enhance the learning of languages, including, where relevant, national sign languages, including through the broader use of online tools because e-learning can offer additional advantages for language learning in terms of access and flexibility. At the same time, in order to ensure broad and inclusive access to the Programme, it is important that multilingualism be a key principle in the implementation of the Programme.

(31)

The Programme should support measures that enhance cooperation between institutions and organisations that are active in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, thereby recognising the fundamental role of the institutions and organisations in equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed in a changing world and helping the institutions and organisations to adequately fulfil their potential for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, in particular within the digital economy.

(32)

In its conclusions of 14 December 2017, the European Council called on Member States, the Council and the Commission to take forward a number of initiatives to elevate European cooperation in the field of education and training to a new level, including by encouraging the emergence by 2024 of ‘European Universities’, consisting of ‘bottom-up’ networks of universities across the Union. In its conclusions of 28 June 2018, the European Council called for cooperation between research, innovation and education to be encouraged, including through the European Universities initiative. The Programme should support those European Universities in developing joint long-term strategies for high-quality education, research and innovation and for service to society.

(33)

The Bruges Communiqué of 7 December 2010 on enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training for the period 2011-2020 called for support of vocational excellence for smart and sustainable growth. In its communication of 18 July 2017 entitled ‘Strengthening Innovation in Europe’s Regions: Strategies for resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth’, the Commission called on Member States to link vocational education and training to innovation systems, as part of smart specialisation strategies at regional level. The Programme should provide the means to respond to those calls and support the development of transnational platforms of centres of vocational excellence embedded in local and regional strategies for sustainable growth, innovation and competitiveness. Those centres of excellence should act as drivers of quality vocational skills in a context of sectoral challenges, while supporting overall structural changes and socio-economic policies in the Union.

(34)

User-friendly online platforms and tools for virtual cooperation can play an important role in supporting the delivery of education and training and youth policy in the Union. To increase the use of virtual cooperation activities, the Programme should support more systematic and coherent use of online platforms such as eTwinning, the School Education Gateway, the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe, the European Youth Portal and online platforms for higher education and, where necessary, any further online platform that might be set up in the fields of education and training and youth.

(35)

In line with relevant Union frameworks and tools, the Programme should contribute to facilitating transparency and the recognition of competences, skills and qualifications, and the transfer of credits or units of learning outcomes in order to foster quality assurance and to support the validation of non-formal and informal learning, skills management and guidance. In that regard, the Programme should also provide support to contact points and networks at national and Union level that facilitate cross-European exchanges and the development of flexible learning pathways between different fields of education and training and youth and across formal and non-formal settings. The Programme should also provide support to the Bologna Process.

(36)

The Programme should mobilise the potential of former participants in the Erasmus+ Programme and support related activities, in particular of Erasmus+ alumni networks, ambassadors and EuroPeers, by encouraging them to promote the Programme with a view to increasing participation.

(37)

As a way to ensure cooperation with other Union instruments and support to other Union policies, learning mobility opportunities should be offered to people in various sectors of activity, such as the public and private sector, agriculture and enterprise, enabling them to have a learning experience abroad that allows them, at any stage of their life, to grow and develop both personally, in particular by developing an awareness of their European identity and an understanding of European cultural diversity, and professionally, including by acquiring skills relevant to the labour market. The Programme should offer an entry point for Union transnational mobility schemes with a strong learning dimension, simplifying the offer of such schemes for beneficiaries and those taking part in those activities. The scaling-up of Programme projects should be facilitated. Specific measures should be put in place to help promoters of Programme projects to apply for grants or develop synergies with support from the Cohesion Policy Funds and from the programmes relating to migration, security, justice and citizenship, health, media and culture, and volunteering. It should be possible to award quality project proposals that cannot be financed under the Programme due to budgetary constraints with a Seal of Excellence label, based on a limited set of criteria. The Seal of Excellence label recognises the quality of the proposal and simplifies the search for alternative financing under the European Regional Development Fund established by a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (the ‘European Regional Development Fund’) or the European Social Fund Plus established by a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (the ‘European Social Fund Plus’).

(38)

It is important to stimulate teaching, learning and research in European integration matters, including the Union’s future challenges and opportunities, and to promote debate on those matters with support from Jean Monnet actions in the field of higher education and in other fields of education and training, in particular by means of teacher and staff training. Fostering a European sense of belonging and commitment is particularly important given the challenges to the common values on which the Union is founded and which form part of a common European identity, and considering the fact that citizens show low levels of engagement. The Programme should continue to contribute to the development of excellence in European integration studies. It is appropriate that the progress of the institutions financed under Jean Monnet actions towards delivering on the Programme objectives be monitored and evaluated regularly. Exchanges between those institutions and other institutions at national or transnational level should be encouraged, in full respect of their academic freedom.

(39)

Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (17) and to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the Programme is intended to contribute to mainstreaming climate actions and to the achievement of an overall target of 30 % of Union budget expenditure supporting climate objectives. In line with the European Green Deal as a blueprint for sustainable growth, the actions under this Regulation should respect the ‘do no harm’ principle without changing the fundamental character of the Programme. During the implementation of the Programme, relevant actions should be identified and put in place and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review process. It is also appropriate to measure relevant actions that contribute to climate objectives, including those intended to reduce the environmental impact of the Programme.

(40)

This Regulation lays down a financial envelope for the Programme which is to constitute the prime reference amount, within the meaning of point 18 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (18), for the European Parliament and the Council during the annual budgetary procedure. That financial envelope comprises an amount of EUR 0,5 billion in constant 2018 prices in line with the joint declaration by the European Parliament, Council and Commission of 16 December 2020 on the reinforcement of specific programmes and adaptation of basic acts (19).

(41)

Within a basic envelope for actions to be managed by the national agencies in the field of education and training, a breakdown of the minimum allocation per sector should be set out for the following sectors in order to guarantee that a critical mass of appropriations reaches the intended output and results in each of those sectors: higher education, vocational education and training, school education and adult education.

(42)

Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council (20) (the ‘Financial Regulation’) applies to the Programme. The Financial Regulation lays down rules on the implementation of the Union budget, including the rules on grants, prizes, procurement, indirect management, financial instruments, budgetary guarantees, financial assistance and the reimbursement of external experts.

(43)

The types of financing and the methods of implementation under this Regulation should be chosen on the basis of their ability to achieve the specific objectives of the actions and to deliver results, taking into account, in particular, the costs of controls, the administrative burden, and the expected risk of non-compliance. When making that choice, the use of lump sums, unit costs and flat rates, as well as financing not linked to costs as referred to in Article 125(1) of the Financial Regulation, should be considered. The budgetary allocations to implement the actions managed by the national agencies should be accompanied by adequate support for the operating costs of national agencies, in the form of a management fee, to ensure effective and sustainable implementation of the delegated management tasks. The principles of transparency, equal treatment and non–discrimination set out in the Financial Regulation should be respected in the implementation of the Programme.

(44)

Third countries which are members of the European Economic Area may participate in Union programmes in the framework of the cooperation established under the Agreement on the European Economic Area (21), which provides for the implementation of the programmes on the basis of a decision adopted under that Agreement. Third countries may also participate on the basis of other legal instruments. A specific provision should be introduced in this Regulation requiring third countries to grant the necessary rights and access required for the authorising officer responsible, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Court of Auditors to comprehensively exercise their respective competences. The full participation of third countries in the Programme should be subject to the conditions laid down in specific agreements covering the participation of the third country concerned in the Programme. Full participation entails, moreover, the obligation to set up a national agency and the management of some of the Programme actions under indirect management. Legal entities from third countries that are not associated to the Programme should be able to participate in some of the actions of the Programme, as defined in the work programmes and the calls for proposals published by the Commission. When implementing the Programme, specific arrangements could be taken into account with regard to the participation of legal entities from European microstates.

(45)

In view of Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and in line with the communication of the Commission of 24 October 2017 entitled ‘A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions’, the Programme should take into account the specific situation of the outermost regions referred to in that Article. Measures should be taken to increase the participation of the outermost regions in all actions, including by means of financial support, where relevant, for learning mobility. Mobility exchanges and cooperation between people and organisations from those regions and third countries, in particular their neighbours, should be fostered. Such measures should be monitored and evaluated regularly.

(46)

Pursuant to Council Decision 2013/755/EU (22), individuals and entities established in overseas countries or territories are eligible for funding subject to the rules and objectives of the Programme and possible arrangements applicable to the Member State to which the relevant overseas country or territory is linked. The constraints imposed by the remoteness of those countries or territories should be taken into account when implementing the Programme. The participation of those countries and territories in the Programme should be monitored and regularly evaluated.

(47)

In accordance with the Financial Regulation, the Commission should adopt work programmes and inform the European Parliament and the Council thereof. Work programmes should set out the measures needed for their implementation, in line with the general and specific objectives of the Programme, the selection and award criteria for grants and all other elements required. Work programmes and any amendments thereto should be adopted by means of implementing acts in accordance with the examination procedure.

(48)

In order to assess progress in, and make possible improvements to, the implementation of the Programme, the Commission should conduct an interim evaluation of the Programme. That interim evaluation should be accompanied by a final evaluation of the 2014-2020 Programme and relevant lessons from that evaluation should also feed into the interim evaluation. In addition to assessing the overall effectiveness and performance of the Programme, it is of particular importance that the interim evaluation thoroughly assess the implementation of new initiatives and of the inclusion and simplification measures put in place. Where appropriate, and on the basis of the interim evaluation, the Commission should put forward a legislative proposal to amend this Regulation. The Commission should transmit any evaluations to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions.

(49)

Pursuant to paragraphs 22 and 23 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making (23), the Programme should be evaluated on the basis of information collected in accordance with specific monitoring requirements, while avoiding an administrative burden, in particular on Member States, and overregulation. Therefore, provisions adopted through related delegated acts should not lead to a significant additional burden for Member States. Monitoring requirements should include specific, measurable and realistic indicators which can be measured over time as a basis for evaluating the effects of the Programme on the ground.

(50)

Appropriate outreach, publicity and dissemination of the opportunities and results of the actions supported by the Programme should be ensured at local, national and European level and should take into account the main target groups in the fields of education and training, youth and sport and, where relevant, a wide variety of other target groups, such as career guidance and employment services, cultural organisations, enterprises and foundations. Outreach, publicity and dissemination activities should rely on all the implementing bodies of the Programme and should, where relevant, have the support of other relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the Commission should engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including organisations that participate in the Programme, on a regular basis across the life cycle of the Programme, in order to facilitate the sharing of good practices and project results and gather feedback on the Programme. The national agencies should be invited to participate in that process.

(51)

In order to ensure greater efficiency in communication to the public at large and stronger synergies between the communication activities undertaken at the initiative of the Commission, financial resources allocated to communication under this Regulation should also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as those priorities are related to the objectives of the Programme.

(52)

In order to ensure that this Regulation is efficiently and effectively implemented, the Programme should make maximum use of delivery mechanisms already in place. The implementation of the Programme should therefore be entrusted to the Commission and to national agencies. Where feasible, and in order to maximise efficiency, the national agencies should be the same as those designated for the management of the 2014-2020 Programme. The scope of the ex ante compliance assessment should be limited to the requirements that are new and specific to the Programme, unless otherwise justified, such as in case of serious shortcomings or underperformance on the part of the national agency concerned.

(53)

In order to ensure sound financial management and legal certainty in each Member State or third country associated to the Programme, each national authority should designate an independent audit body. Where feasible, and in order to maximise efficiency, the independent audit bodies should be the same as those designated under the 2014-2020 Programme.

(54)

Member States should endeavour to adopt all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles that could prevent access to, or impede the proper functioning of, the Programme. That includes resolving, where possible and without prejudice to Union law on the entry and residence of third-country nationals, issues that create difficulties in obtaining visas and residence permits.

(55)

The performance reporting system should ensure that data for monitoring Programme implementation and for evaluation are collected efficiently, effectively, in a timely manner and at the appropriate level of detail. Such data should be communicated to the Commission in a way that complies with relevant data protection rules.

(56)

In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (24).

(57)

In order to simplify requirements for beneficiaries, simplified grants in the form of lump sums, unit costs and flat rates should be used to the maximum possible extent. Simplified grants to support learning mobility under the Programme, as defined by the Commission, should take into account the living and subsistence costs in the host country. The Commission and the national agencies of sending countries should have the possibility to adjust those grants on the basis of objective criteria, in particular to ensure access for people with fewer opportunities. In accordance with national law, Member States should also be encouraged to exempt those grants from any taxes and social levies; grants awarded to individuals by public or private legal entities should be treated in the same manner.

(58)

In accordance with the Financial Regulation, Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (25) and Council Regulations (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 (26), (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 (27) and (EU) 2017/1939 (28), the financial interests of the Union are to be protected by means of proportionate measures, including measures relating to the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities, including fraud, to the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used, and, where appropriate, to the imposition of administrative penalties. In particular, in accordance with Regulations (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, OLAF has the power to carry out administrative investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is empowered, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, to investigate and prosecute criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the Union as provided for in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council (29). In accordance with the Financial Regulation, any person or entity receiving Union funds is to fully cooperate in the protection of the financial interests of the Union, grant the necessary rights and access to the Commission, OLAF, the Court of Auditors and, in respect of those Member States participating in enhanced cooperation pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the EPPO, and ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds grant equivalent rights.

(59)

It is necessary to ensure the complementarity and consistency of the Programme actions, including those without a transnational or international character, with activities undertaken by the Member States and with other Union activities, in particular those relating to education and training, culture and the media, youth and solidarity, employment and social inclusion, research and innovation, industry and enterprise, digital policy, agriculture and rural development that have a focus on young farmers, environment and climate, cohesion, regional policy, migration, security and international cooperation and development.

(60)

While the regulatory framework under the 2014-2020 Programme allowed Member States and regions to establish synergies in the 2014-2020 programming period between that Programme and other Union instruments, such as the European Structural and Investment Funds, which also support the qualitative development of education, training and youth systems in the Union, that potential has so far been underexploited, thus limiting the systemic effects of projects and the impact on policy. Effective communication and cooperation should take place at national level between the national bodies in charge of managing those various instruments to maximise their respective impact. The Programme should allow for active cooperation with those instruments, in particular to ensure that, where relevant, adequate financial support measures are put in place to support people with fewer opportunities.

(61)

In order to optimise the added value from investments funded wholly or in part through the budget of the Union, synergies should be sought, in particular, between the Programme and other Union programmes, including Funds implemented under shared management. To maximise those synergies, key enabling mechanisms should be ensured, including cumulative financing in an action from the Programme and another Union programme, as long as such cumulative financing does not exceed the total eligible costs of the action. For that purpose, this Regulation should set out appropriate rules, in particular on the possibility to declare the same cost or expenditure on a pro-rata basis to the Programme and another Union programme.

(62)

In order to adapt, where necessary, to developments in the relevant fields, and in order to ensure the effective assessment of the Programme’s progress towards the achievement of its objectives, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission to amend Annex I to this Regulation by adding to the description of the Programme actions and to amend Annex II to this Regulation with regard to the Programme’s performance indicators, and to supplement this Regulation with provisions on the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States’ experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts.

(63)

It is appropriate to ensure that the 2014-2020 Programme is closed correctly, in particular as regards the continuation of multiannual arrangements for its management, such as the financing of technical and administrative assistance. As from 1 January 2021, the technical and administrative assistance should ensure, where necessary, the management of actions that have not been finalised under the 2014-2020 Programme by 31 December 2020.

(64)

This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’). In particular, this Regulation seeks to ensure full respect for the right to equality between women and men and the right to non-discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, and to promote the application of Articles 21 and 23 of the Charter. In line with Article 13 of the Charter, it should also be ensured that academic freedom is respected by the countries receiving funds under the Programme.

(65)

Horizontal financial rules adopted by the European Parliament and by the Council on the basis of Article 322 TFEU apply to this Regulation. Those rules are laid down in the Financial Regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget through grants, procurement, prizes and indirect implementation, and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors. Where the Union contribution takes the form of lump sums, unit costs or flat rates, the levels of financial support should be regularly reviewed and, where necessary, adjusted in accordance with the Financial Regulation, taking into account, where appropriate, the living and subsistence costs in the host country and travel costs. Rules adopted on the basis of Article 322 TFEU also include a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget.

(66)

In accordance with Article 193(2) of the Financial Regulation, it is possible to award a grant for an action which has already begun, provided that the applicant can demonstrate the need for starting the action prior to signature of the grant agreement. However, the costs incurred prior to the date of submission of the grant application are not eligible for Union financing except in duly justified exceptional cases. In accordance with Article 193(4) of that Regulation, the costs incurred prior to the date of submission of the grant application are also not eligible for Union financing in the case of operating grants and, in such a case, the grant agreement is to be signed within four months of the start of the beneficiary’s financial year. In order to avoid any disruption in Union support which could be prejudicial to the Union’s interests, it should be possible to provide in the financing decision, for a limited period of time at the beginning of the 2021-2027 MFF, and only in duly justified cases, for eligibility of activities and costs from 1 January 2021, even if those activities were implemented and those costs incurred before the grant application was submitted.

(67)

Since the objectives of this Regulation cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of the transnational character of the Programme, the high volume and wide geographical scope of the learning mobility and cooperation activities funded, its effects on access to learning mobility and more generally on Union integration, and the reinforced international dimension of the Programme, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

(68)

Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 should therefore be repealed with effect from 1 January 2021.

(69)

In order to ensure continuity in providing support in the relevant policy area and to allow implementation to start from the beginning of the 2021-2027 MFF, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should apply, with retroactive effect, from 1 January 2021,