EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 16.7.2025

COM(2025) 549 final

2025/0222(COD)

Proposal for a

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034, and repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/817 and (EU) 2021/888

{SWD(2025) 550-551}
{SEC(2025) 547}

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

Reasons and objectives

Policy context

Education, training, youth and sport are the Union's strongest investment in human capital, nurturing skills, building bonds across Europe, thereby laying the foundation for a resilient and cohesive European Union, with citizens equipped with the right skills and competences from the earliest age, and who embrace a shared European identity in all its diversity. They are also drivers for social fairness, sustainable prosperity and competitiveness and key contributors to many of the EU's overall political priorities such as preparedness and the twin transition.

The importance of education, training, youth and sport for Europe’s future has been reflected in the EU’s recent policy agenda and strategic reports.

The EU leaders’ Strategic Agenda for Europe 2024 – 2029 1 makes investment in skills, training and education a priority, recognising that in an era where global competition coupled with political and social divergences are intensifying, education stands as a unifying force and is the bedrock upon which Europe must build its strategic autonomy, economic strength, democracy and cohesion.

In the political guidelines 2024-2029, President von der Leyen highlights the need to take a ‘radical step change in ambition and action – for all skill levels and for all types of training and education. This is as important for people’s careers and prospects as it is for our competitiveness.’ Moreover, the President pledged to ‘establish a Union of Skills 2 – focusing on investment, adult and lifelong learning, skill retention and the recognition of different types of training to enable people to work across our Union’, and to ‘strengthen Erasmus+ including for vocational training so that more people can benefit. This is key for people to develop skills and create shared experiences and a better understanding of each other. This will be part of a wider commitment to giving young people greater freedom and responsibility within our societies and democracies.’ She pledged to ‘continue to work towards a European Degree’. The President further underscored that she wants to make sure that ‘young people can use their voice – their own voice – to help shape our future.’

In its Resolution of 16 January 2024 on the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme, the European Parliament 3 emphasised that ‘the programme has been a driving force for the European Education Area and should continue to respond to future trends in education to keep up with societal and technological change’ and that the ‘programme is crucial in fostering a European sense of belonging’.

The two key reports that provide thorough analysis and insights into the future of the European Union, the Letta report 4 and the Draghi report 5 , underline the importance of investing in education and skills, including the key role of Erasmus+. In addition, the report by Sauli Niinistö 6  concludes that the resilience of the Union’s economy and societies, especially in sectors critical for maintaining societal and economic stability, such as education, is paramount in the face of potential large-scale crises, such as military conflicts and disasters.

The Erasmus+ programme goes hand in hand with the ambition in the Union of Skills Communication 7 of 5 March 2025, to develop quality, inclusive and adaptable education, training and skills systems to increase the EU’s competitiveness, and the European Education Area (EEA), a key enabler of the Union of Skills. This will lay the foundation to skills formation throughout life and provide a genuine common space for quality and inclusive education and lifelong learning across borders.

EU funding support to challenges that affect skills, education, training, youth, volunteering and sport has been provided through different programmes over the years. In the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF), support was provided mainly through Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps, the European Social Fund+, the Framework for research and innovation, Horizon Europe. The proposal for the next MFF aims at addressing complexities, weaknesses and rigidities’ currently present in the Union’s overall funding instruments with a long-term budget more focused, simpler, with fewer programmes and more impactful.

Challenges/problems drivers

The EU faces serious challenges in the areas of education and training as well as youth and sport. Europe needs people with the necessary skills and competences, for life and for jobs, for personal growth as well as a more sustainable, resilient and digital economy and society. Investing in the development of these skills is pivotal in ensuring a prosperous, cohesive and competitive Europe. Today, education and training systems struggle to provide people with a minimum proficiency level of basic skills and to foster the advanced competencies and soft skills needed, across all stages of life. The acquisition of transversal skills and competences such as flexibility, resilience, empathy, confidence, open-mindedness, critical thinking, digital and media literacy and teamwork will be equally important to empower individuals to drive change, thrive in a rapidly changing world and contribute to better mental health and wellbeing. These skills also increase employability and help to strengthen societal resilience and build a stronger Europe, that is better equipped to face crises. Europe is lagging behind in basic skills 8  and the underachievement rate has largely increased in mathematics (-18 points), reading (-12) and science (-3.4) compared to the OECD’s previous programme for international student assessment (PISA) in 2018. EU does not generate enough skilled graduates from higher education and vocational education, with nearly four out of five employers reporting difficulties finding workers with the right skills 9 . Overall, labour and skills shortages have been increasing in all Member States, which is impacting EU’s ability to embrace the green and digital transitions, and with it its competitiveness. Disparities in the level and access to quality and inclusive formal and non-formal education across the Union persist, including when it comes to rural and remote areas, accentuating economic, social and territorial disparities. In addition, there are still gender gaps, with almost twice as many men than women studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

There is a clear need to address these skills related issues and create an enabling environment that promotes better learning outcomes for all from an early age and sets learners up for success in the long term.

The EU's strategic autonomy and competitiveness also relies on its ability to nurture, attract, and retain talent, particularly in the face of global competition. The Union must also prioritise the development of education with a view to developing advanced skills, including digital, technical, and transversal skills.

The skills challenge exceeds mere economic considerations and addresses the need for a healthy, resilient, engaged, united and prepared society. It will be crucial to equip individuals from an early age onwards with skills and competences for life, enabling them to navigate the complex and rapidly changing world we live in, engage and take an active role in society and in democratic processes. Young people’s belief in equal opportunities has declined sharply, with a 16-percentage point drop in the last decade 10 . Many feel marginalised due to their socio-economic status, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or political views, particularly those with fewer opportunities or those living in rural or remote areas, with 24% (close to 18 million) of young people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the Union; 11% of young people aged 15 to 29 are still neither in employment nor in education or training . The lack of affordable housing further exacerbates this vulnerability, limiting young people’s access to education and learning mobility opportunities.

Young people tend to participate less in institutional politics and other democratic processes than other age groups and much less than young people in the past 11 . They can be confronted with obstacles in their participation in democracy, such as insufficient knowledge of their democratic rights, difficult access to information and limited involvement in decision-making processes. Democratic institutions and processes themselves can be inaccessible and unwelcoming to young people. These challenges, including multiple skills requirements, cannot be met through formal education and training only. Non-formal and informal learning, involvement in activities such as volunteering, or sport bring complementary value. They can offer valuable opportunities for people to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours to grow and become active and engaged citizens. However, opportunities for such actions are limited, thus negatively impacting social capital development, particularly among young people.

Programme contribution and objectives

The future Programme can contribute to address these challenges, through learning opportunities for all and capacity building achieved through cooperation and policy support.

Learning mobility starting from an early age is at the core of Erasmus+. It exposes learners to different and diverse learning environments, new teaching and training methods, institutional settings and different social context. These experiences allow individuals not only to expand disciplinary knowledge but also develop critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills, as well as improve resilience, adaptability, autonomy and self-confidence. These skills are highly transferable to the professional world, increasing employability and contributing to a skilled and competitive workforce. For staff, learning mobility boosts professional development, networking, and collaboration opportunities and leads to improved quality teaching practices. This is particularly crucial in today’s educational landscape where teaching careers at all levels need to be made more attractive and continuous professional development must be encouraged.

The goal is to make learning mobility a reality for all, as early as possible, ensuring that opportunities are accessible across all sectors of education and training as well as in youth and sport, in line with the Council Recommendation ‘Europe on the Move - Learning opportunities for everyone’ 12 . EU action will help address the obstacles to mobility, providing sufficient funding and support measures to promote diversity and ensure equal access for individuals regardless of their cultural, social, economic, or geographical background, or any special needs they may have.

Through boosting mobility and accompanying support measures, the future Erasmus+ should strengthen its contribution to the fifth basic skill of democratic citizenship and to the development of a sense of European identity and commitment to EU values. It is a cornerstone programme for promoting democratic and societal participation, by integrating citizenship and engagement in all Programme fields, in particular school education, better aligning with new priorities like preparedness, and unlocking the full potential of the sport field notably through expanding mobility activities in the field of sport to involve athletes alongside coaches.

By offering volunteering opportunities and activities to engage and express solidarity, the Programme will further promote the development of a culture of solidarity, care and understanding among citizens, especially the youngest generations and will contribute to advancing social inclusion and cohesion. To develop solidarity with people in need in non-EU countries, this proposal also includes the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, supported by the European Solidarity Corps under the 2021-2027 programming period. The European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps supports volunteering activities in post-crisis long-term humanitarian aid and development cooperation operations, aimed at preventing and alleviating human suffering, maintaining durable human dignity, reinforcing disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction, linking relief, rehabilitation and development and contributing towards strengthening the resilience and capacity of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities to cope with and recover from crises.

The Programme should also support students in engaging in critical sectors and continue to boost innovation and excellence in education and training systems, including in developing skills and competences in strategic areas, addressing Europe’s skills and talent shortages, and making the Union a more attractive destination for EU and global talent.

Supporting and facilitating transnational and international cooperation between organisations in the fields of education, training, youth and sport is instrumental in addressing the challenges described above, enabling organisations to pool expertise and to combine complementary strengths not available in any single institution. Cross-border cooperation between education and training, youth and sport organisations encourages the required mutual learning and exchanges of good practices. It also facilitates networking, enabling the organisations and their staff to experience new approaches and methodologies and increase their own capacity to deliver high quality teaching, training and learning. To increase the effectiveness of its action in this area, the Programme should refine the focus of its cooperation activities, including by reviewing funding models, raising the relevance of target groups involved and better focus on increasing capacity building and raising quality. The Programme should reinforce its support to cooperation in the school sector by supporting school alliances, addressing obstacles to cooperation and mobility and continuing to offer opportunities that enable the roll-out of the European degree label and a possible European joint degree to support the increase in the number of transnational joint study programmes.

The Programme will further enable long-term strategic transnational cooperation at institutional level under key flagship initiatives, serving as testbeds for innovative instruments that deepen links with the private sector and drive sustainable impact and transformation. Through the provision of sustainable support and a clear strategic steer, partnerships for excellence and innovation will directly address new policy priorities stemming from the Union of Skills, the Competitiveness Compass 13 , the Clean Industrial Deal 14 , and the Preparedness Strategy 15 .

The Programme will support policy development at European level, helping shape policies that can trigger modernisation and reforms, at European, national, regional and systems' level, in the fields of education and training, as well as youth and sport. It can contribute to the development and circulation of skills, including by setting up basic skills support scheme and boosting quality assurance, transparency, the recognition of skills, competences and qualifications, their digitalisation, and the validation of non-formal and informal learning, skills management and guidance. The Programme should also increase the impact, scale, accessibility and sustainability notably by reinforcing synergies with other Union funding programmes and instruments such as the next EU framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe, the European Competitiveness Fund, Global Europe, as well as the National and Regional Partnership Plans under the next MFF.

The Programme should be simplified and made more accessible to a broader audience including smaller and less experienced organisations, notably by removing some challenges through the change of management mode of some actions, bringing them closer to the field. The Programme will become more relevant, attractive, and inclusive, with a focus on reaching learners with fewer opportunities with further measures to facilitate their participation and activities that better fit with their needs.

•Consistency with existing policy provisions

The proposal is fully aligned with the Union of Skills, an overarching strategy that focuses on investment, adult and lifelong learning, vocational education and training, skill retention and recognition, and improving skills intelligence. It sets the framework for EU cooperation in education and skills policies, supporting the development of the EU's human capital to strengthen its competitiveness. The proposal supports the Union of Skills by delivering on its objectives, including the Action Plan on Basic Skills and the STEM Education Strategic Plan. These aim to improve basic skills, provide lifelong learning opportunities, and attract and retain the skills and talents needed in the European economy. In addition, the Programme will support the implementation of the overall European strategic cooperation in education and training, including its underlying sectoral agendas in the fields of school education, adult education, vocational education and training and higher education.

The proposal is consistent with the objectives of the European Education Area (EEA), which lays the foundation for skills formation throughout life and supports cooperation and peer learning between countries. The EEA promotes high-quality and inclusive education and training for all, facilitates the mutual recognition of learning outcomes across borders, and supports the mobility of learners of all ages. The Digital Education Action Plan, part of the EEA, further supports the development of digital education across EU Member States equipping people with the digital skills and competences necessary for the digital transformation. The proposal also aligns with the Council Recommendation ‘Europe on the Move’, a building block of the EEA, to enable learning mobility for everyone.

The proposal is also in line with the EU Youth Strategy 16 , the policy framework in the field of youth for 2019–2027, structured around the pillars of Engage, Connect, and Empower. It aims to foster youth participation in democratic life, social and civic engagement, ensuring that all young people have the necessary resources to take part in society. 

In the field of sport, the proposal is aligned on the objectives of the EU Work Plan for Sport 17 (2024-2027), outlining a strategic approach that recognises the role of sport in social cohesion, promoting well-being, building inclusive communities, strengthening cultural ties, and enhancing solidarity among people. The work plan prioritises integrity, sustainability, and social inclusion within sporting contexts, encouraging cross-border cooperation and the sharing of best practices.

The Programme will also contribute to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, in particular to Sustainable Development Goal 4 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

•Consistency with other Union policies

The initiative is aligned with the Commission’s overarching 2024-2029 policy priorities 18 , namely 1) supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model; 2) protecting our democracy, upholding our values; 3) Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness; 4) a new era for European Defence and Security 5) a global Europe and 6) Sustaining our quality of life: Food security, water and nature. It will also contribute to strengthening social and territorial cohesion within the EU and intergenerational fairness.

The Programme will contribute to putting into practice the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights 19 and implementing the flagship initiatives of the European Skills Agenda 20 , to help individuals and businesses develop more and better skills and put them to use, including the Pact for Skills which aims to mobilise and incentivise relevant private and public stakeholders to partner up and take action for lifelong skills development. The programme will also be in line with the future European Strategy on vocational education and training, which aims to increase the attractiveness, excellence and inclusiveness of VET. Particular attention will be given in the Programme to promoting gender equality, for example the participation of girls and women in STEM, including through the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) approach, also in line with the Roadmap for Women’s Rights and the Gender Equality Strategy. The Programme will also address differences in relation to access and use by underrepresented groups, as part of a Union of Equality, in line with the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, the Anti-Racism Action Plan, and the Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation 21 . The proposal is also in line with the European Child Guarantee, and the EU Strategy on the Rights of the child, comprehensive framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of all children. 

Synergies with policies for a global Europe

The future Programme will complement actions financed through Global Europe. It will moreover contribute to attract global talent and enhance the EU’s influence and attractiveness on the world stage, as a trusted partner. The future Erasmus+ programme will include participation of third countries and support for international partnerships, allowing for synergies and contribution to EU’s policies on external action. 

Synergies with policies on sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature

The proposal is also aligned with the priority on “sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature” and to the Vision for agriculture and food 29  contributing to the acquisition of the skills needed in key sectors enabling to build a competitive and resilient agriculture and food system or safeguarding our biodiversity.

2.LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY

•Legal basis

•Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)

While Member States remain responsible for the content and organisation of their policies in the fields concerned, the challenges identified are common to all Member States and/or have a significant transnational dimension, that requires EU-level solutions, coordination, and support to be addressed effectively. EU actions can facilitate cooperation, capacity building, and mutual learning as well as cross-border activities, ultimately optimising the potential of the sectors concerned.

The Programme aims to enhance transnational mobility and capacity building through cooperation and support policy developments with a European dimension. However, due to the transnational nature, high volume, and broad geographical scope of the activities supported, as well as their strong international dimension, these objectives cannot be adequately achieved by Member States acting alone. For instance, cross-border learning mobility or volunteering is more complex to organise on a bilateral basis and is difficult for individual Member States to make it accessible to all. The Erasmus+ mid-term evaluation has demonstrated that single initiatives by education and training, youth and sport organisations or Member States, although effective at national level, lack the necessary scale and volume to achieve a European-wide impact. Furthermore, the cumulative coverage of individual country and cross-sectoral initiatives remains limited compared to the current Erasmus+ programme. Similarly, the European Solidarity Corps evaluation confirms that it plays an essential role and, in some countries, is the only option for youth volunteering and solidarity.

Furthermore, by extending the Programme’s scope to cover volunteering activities, including by integrating the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, Erasmus+ will offer a single-entry point to EU opportunities for young people across the Union and abroad. Currently these are only accessible via distinct schemes. Erasmus+ will therefore ensure that all young people across the Union have equal opportunities to a broader variety of activities, and that they have easier access to them. Bringing the European Solidarity Corps’ opportunities under Erasmus+ will also help improve awareness of the opportunities available to young people and organisations working with them and give them greater visibility.

The added value of EU funding in the policy areas covered by the Programme was widely acknowledged by respondents to the open public consultation conducted by the Commission for the new MFF, with the vast majority highlighting its importance.

•    Proportionality

•Choice of the instrument

3.RESULTS OF RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

•Retrospective evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation

Erasmus+

The final evaluation of the 2014-2020 programme and the interim evaluation of the 2021-2027 programme 30 found that Erasmus+ performs strongly across key evaluation criteria and fulfils its objectives effectively. Both programme generations have proven successful in delivering a strong European added value, playing a key role in the fields of education and training, as well as youth and sport.

Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Erasmus+ supported learning mobility abroad of over 6.2 million participants in the 2014-2020 period and around 1.6 million in 2021-2023 helping to increase their skills and competences. It also funded over 136 000 distinct organisations in the 2014-2020 Programme and more than 77 000 in 2021-2023, supporting their cooperation and improving their practices.

Erasmus+ significantly surpasses what could be achieved by individual countries at national or international levels. Its benefits stem from the opportunities it provides to the personal, educational and professional development of learners and staff, to cross-border cooperation of organisations and to policy development in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. It provides significant benefits to those who take part in the programme compared to those who do not. Without Erasmus+, the benefits from the Programme for individuals and organisations would be drastically reduced. Cross-border activities of education, training, youth and sport sectors would be reduced to close to zero in several countries, especially in the youth and sport sectors. Erasmus+ funds over half of credit mobilities in the Member States, and over 90% of short mobility in half of the Union countries.

Furthermore, the programme is responding to emerging needs related to new challenges posed by technological developments, aligning with the policy sectors and priorities of the European Competitiveness Fund, in particular the emergence of generative artificial intelligence and the provision of skills to support EU competitiveness. Erasmus+ is investing in helping develop the skills needed to provide the Union single market and industrial sectors with the future-proof skills to tackle the challenges of competitiveness, as highlighted in the Draghi and Letta reports. The funding of learning mobility – which is at the heart of the programme – appears key to ensuring that the younger generations are equipped with the right skills to face the challenges posed in a rapidly evolving context. The Programme has also become more inclusive and has increased the share of people with fewer opportunities among its participants, from around 10% in 2014-2020 to 15% in 2023.

Despite the clear progress, the evaluation has identified still existing barriers to the participation of people with fewer opportunities. Erasmus+ should thus keep addressing the most pressing accessibility challenges, continuing to expand its reach to participants with fewer opportunities. Further clarifying definitions of people with fewer opportunities and providing clearer guidance on the measures available to support their participation would also enhance inclusivity.

Reviewing the funding rules, simpler reporting procedures and streamlining across the various actions and fields should be assessed to simplify access for small and newcomer organisations. The evaluation also identified the need to simplify alternative funding, facilitate the transfer of funds between instruments and break down barriers between different operational modes and funding rules in order to build more synergies between Erasmus+ and other instruments and increase projects’ upscaling. This should also be done via better dissemination of project outcomes.

The evaluation shows the international added value of the programme, essential for fostering EU values, intercultural learning, raising awareness of civic and active participation but also for facilitating peer learning and bringing European expertise in the fields of education, training, youth and sport to other regions.

The Erasmus+ evaluation identified opportunities to improve coherence with the European Solidarity Corps and identify ways to address potential overlaps, improving overall efficiency and increasing clarity for stakeholders.

European Solidarity Corps

The final evaluation of the 2018-2020 programme and interim evaluation of the 2021-2027 programme 31 found that the European Solidarity Corps performs well across the five evaluation criteria (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, EU added value). The European Solidarity Corps addresses European society’s crucial needs, by fostering civic participation and promoting inclusion and diversity. The programme fosters a sense of community, revitalising local initiatives and promoting a broader global perspective. Participation contributes to improved personal, professional and study skills together with social and civic awareness. The programme has also consistently met its targets on participants with fewer opportunities (30% in 2022 and 2023). The evaluation’s outcomes confirm that the European Solidarity Corps plays an essential role and, in some countries, is the only option for youth volunteering and solidarity. A number of areas for improvement have been identified. Key recommendations include (i) improving the identification of people with fewer opportunities to facilitate their further inclusion in the programme, (ii) aligning programme objectives and funding, (iii) addressing differences in the geographical distribution of results and impacts, (iv) improving visa arrangements for non-EU nationals (v) improving IT and monitoring tools, and (vi) clarifying the purpose of the humanitarian aid strand. Funding has generally proven very limited given the programme’s ambitions and objectives. The programme complements EU programmes like Erasmus+, but actual synergies are somewhat limited, suggesting a need for more structured efforts.

A potential area of duplication highlighted by the evaluation concerns Erasmus+ Youth Participation activities and Solidarity projects funded under the European Solidarity Corps. They both support youth-led initiatives run by informal groups of young people, fostering active citizenship and a sense of initiative. Solidarity projects have a stronger solidarity component, supporting mostly bottom-up local solidarity activities with a view to addressing key challenges within the communities that the young people carrying the project live in. Nevertheless, the many common areas of action suggest the need to reflect on potential overlaps. The support activities that aim to increase the quality implementation of the two programmes also emerge as examples of possible overlaps. Both activities are run by the same national agencies, active in the youth field, and fund very similar activities, reaching out to target groups that are often the same. These activities represent opportunities for synergies between the programmes, they could also be examined for economies of scale and improved efficiency.

In conclusion, the European Solidarity Corps complements Erasmus+ by offering volunteering and solidarity experiences to young people outside of formal education and training frameworks. The evaluations of both Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps confirm the success of the programmes and highlight their effectiveness. While no major structural or implementation issue was identified, it is recommended to continue pursuing simplification and inclusion, enhance the international dimension, and address overlaps and synergies between the two programmes.

The future instrument will therefore build on these successes and strengths. It will better address the EU’s challenges related to sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, skills shortage, social inclusion, democracy but also the requirement for greater inclusion, stronger impact and simplification.

•Stakeholder consultations

Consultation activities took place between March 2024 and May 2025 and were designed to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders. These activities consisted of an open public consultation, two workshops with national authorities and national agencies, a large-scale stakeholder conference (with national authorities, national agencies, umbrella organisations, Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programme beneficiaries and participants as well as representatives of EU institutions) and incidental consultations.

The open public consultation was conducted between 12 February and 7 May 2025, and gathered 5 845 replies. It informed the impact assessment for EU programmes in the domains of cross-border education, youth, culture, media, values and civil society under the post-2027 MFF.

The responses revealed a clear affirmation of the EU’s continued role in fostering cross-border cooperation and supporting democratic and social objectives. Among the answers, ‘support for study/training abroad’ was ranked as ‘very important’ by 81% of citizens and 70% of organisations. This priority was frequently tied to the broader theme of long-term investment in skills, employability, and European identity. Respondents linked learning mobility not only with educational benefits but also with social integration, civic engagement, and labour market readiness. Many referred to the role of EU funding in supporting student exchanges, vocational training, language learning, and cross-border partnerships as levers for developing a more inclusive and competitive society. Similarly, ‘protect democracy, promote democratic standards’ received 80% support among citizens and 72% among organisations, showing high convergence between individual and institutional stakeholders.

Youth engagement stood out as a strong feature of the consultation. Almost 50% of citizen respondents were under the age of 30, and this age group consistently expressed strong support for funding initiatives that promote democratic engagement, equality, mobility and civic cooperation. Their feedback aligned well with the Commission’s strategic focus areas for youth, including those highlighted under the Youth Check initiative. Their engagement also demonstrated a high level of awareness and investment in the values-based and cross-border elements of EU programming.

The responses to the open public consultation also confirmed that EU funding provides added value compared to funding at national, local or regional level in the areas it covered. For example, 79% of respondents considered that ‘Protecting democracy and promoting democratic standards’ is an area where EU funding largely provides added value.

Asked to evaluate the obstacles that prevent the EU budget from fully delivering on its objectives in the policy areas, respondents generally welcomed the Commission’s focus on greater efficiency in funding, but not at the cost of ‘identity’ and ‘trust’, preserving thematic clarity and stakeholder ownership. Quantitative results show that the most frequently cited obstacles across all groups were administrative burden (identified by 52% of citizens and 58% of organisations) and complex, fund-specific compliance rules (50% of citizens and 53% of organisations). These issues reflect concerns not only with regulatory complexity but also with fragmentation between instruments and inefficiencies in delivery. Additional barriers included lack of flexibility to reallocate resources in response to emerging needs (32% of citizens and 32% of organisations), delays in programme implementation and funding disbursement, and insufficient communication or clarity about funding opportunities. Public authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in particular emphasised delays as a source of reduced impact and local credibility. 

The other consultations also revealed unanimous support for continuing with and improving Erasmus+ and the opportunities offered under the European Solidarity Corps emphasising their vital role in fostering EU values, supporting skills development and competitiveness. Stakeholders underlined the need for programme stability in terms of overall architecture and delivery mechanisms and maintaining mobility at the core of the programme. The feedback also stresses the value of the flagship actions, such as the European Universities Alliances, the Centres of Vocational Excellence, and the Erasmus+ Teacher Academies and the importance of investing in them.

In terms of main challenges facing the future programme, data collected shows that while stakeholders welcome the simplification measures introduced in the current programming period, there is room for more improvements in that area such as streamlining the programme rules and further reducing the administrative burden. The consultations highlighted the increased commitment from stakeholders to meeting the needs of individuals with fewer opportunities and the need to further enhance the strong inclusion dimension of the programme by effectively reaching out to the most disadvantaged target groups and facilitating the participation of grassroots organisations and newcomers. There were also calls by some stakeholders to simplify access and alleviate the administrative burden through a change of management mode - from direct to indirect management - for certain actions such as Jean Monnet in other fields than higher education and Partnerships for cooperation in the field of sport.

Additionally, stakeholders highlighted the importance of synergies that could be facilitated between the different EU instruments. This includes improved coordination by the European Commission at European level. There was a call for a strong international dimension, increased and improved communication and information, an impact assessment as well as data collection and use.

Overall, stakeholders provided valuable input on how to build on the progress made and address remaining challenges to ensure the long-term success of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps opportunities.

•External expertise

•Impact assessment

The proposal was subject to an impact assessment, which was carried out as part of the preparations for the next MFF. It covered EU funds that support cross-border education, training and solidarity, young people, media, culture, and creative sectors, values, and civil society.

In the impact assessment, the Commission explored several alternative policy options to address the challenges of the sectors covered by the cluster and determined which option better served the policy areas and priorities of the Commission. The various options were mutually exclusive. One option was to continue the existing Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes as stand-alone programmes, while introducing some incremental improvements. A second option consisted of bringing together Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, two programmes that share a common main objective to contribute to high quality lifelong learning, enhance skills and key competences for all, for life and for jobs, while promoting societal engagement and civic education, solidarity and social inclusion. A third option was the full integration of policies currently covered by Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, and those covered by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme and Creative Europe under a single instrument.  

Other alternatives were also considered but were discarded at an early stage. One was the discontinuation of Union funding in the fields currently covered by Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, but it was rejected given the importance of the problems affecting the sectors concerned, the prominence given to these policies in the political guidelines and the added value of the Union intervention, underpinned by the respective mid-term evaluations.

The main potential impact of the three shortlisted options (continuity, full integration, and objective-based merger) was analysed against their social, economic and environmental dimensions. Where relevant, the analysis also covered costs and benefits, impacts on competitiveness and small businesses and on digitalisation, as well as the contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the options were assessed based on their effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and proportionality, applying the Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation. 

The evaluation of the options and their impacts highlighted that integration based on policy objectives (objective-based merger) would offer better potential compared to the two alternatives. It would allow for better coordination, targeted flexibility, and a more effective use of the Union budget – without sacrificing policy focus or accessibility.

This funding instrument will offer a more comprehensive approach and a coherent landscape of formal, non-formal and informal opportunities for young people, aiming to boost skills development, engagement, preparedness and social cohesion. Europe needs to ensure that young people are equipped with a minimum proficiency level of basic and digital skills and foster the advanced competencies and soft skills needed, across all stages of life. This is valid for professional development but also for their personal development. This is crucial given that close to 18 million young people in the EU are at risk of social exclusion 32 and, in 2024, almost half of them reported recent emotional or psychosocial problems 33 . Europe also has to address the insufficient knowledge among young people particularly of their democratic rights, difficult access to information, limited involvement in decision-making processes and the wider political debate. Addressing all those challenges is pivotal in ensuring a prosperous, prepared and cohesive Europe but cannot be satisfied through formal education only. Volunteering and other forms of non-formal and informal learning bring complementary value to formal education. In terms of implementation, by unifying the intervention logic for these areas (mainly covered by Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps), Union funding would be significantly streamlined and simplified, leading to greater efficiency, economies of scale and a reduced administrative burden.

The new instrument will build on the success of the current programmes and best practices of the current MFF, as evidenced by evaluations. It will better address transnational and common challenges, filling funding gaps at Member State level, and enhance coherence between internal and external policies, while boosting synergies, efficiency and effectiveness, and reducing overlaps.

Based on the Better Regulation guidelines, this impact assessment report was submitted for quality scrutiny to the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB). The RSB gave an opinion to the impact assessment on 13 June 2025. The RSB made a series of comments and recommendations on scope, problem definition and the use of evaluations, intervention logic and objectives, comparison of options and cost-benefit analysis, governance, coherence and future monitoring and evaluation. The impact assessment accompanying this legal proposal was reviewed in accordance with the Board’s comments.

•Simplification

The proposal introduces several simplifications.

For individuals, in particular young people

By extending the scope and including volunteering and solidarity-projects, the initiative will bring all EU opportunities for young people under one programme. The proposal will thus offer a single-entry point to EU funding opportunities for young people and those working with them across the Union and abroad, providing easier access to them.

For applicants and beneficiaries

The proposal aims to increase coherence and rationalise the architecture of the programme by combining the cooperation and policy support actions, reshuffling actions (for instance by bringing all cooperation opportunities for organisations together or moving the support to platforms together with other tools and measures in order to support policy development and programme implementation) and removing the unnecessary chapters per field. Actions that share similar objectives and overlap will be merged. (e.g. learning mobility for higher education learners and staff). These will bring clarity in the Union funding opportunities offered, making it easier for potential applicants to find their way and identify the relevant opportunities for them.

Furthermore, the initiative will address the obstacles faced by grassroots, small- or first-time applicant organisations and increase its reach by changing the management mode of some actions (e.g. current Jean Monnet actions in other fields than higher education or cooperation partnerships for sport). It will also introduce very low value grant partnerships with a strongly reduced administrative burden for applicants.

The use of accreditation systems will continue to provide organisations with a structured framework for continuous improvement and simplified access to funding, ultimately facilitating long-term planning, increasing the quality of activities and enhancing transnational collaboration. The use of simplified grants in the form of lump sums, unit costs and flat rates will be used to the maximum possible extent.

In addition, efforts will be made to simplify overall application and reporting procedures as well as harmonise rules, while ensuring proportionality between the grant level and the requirements.  

For stakeholders implementing the programme (national authorities, national agencies, European Commission)

By bringing under one framework two programmes that operate with similar processes duplicating each other in several areas (e.g. work programme, monitoring, communication), the proposal will offer significant simplification, leading to greater efficiency, reduced administrative burden and implementation costs. This will allow for a more efficient use of resources, both for the European Commission, the Member States and third countries that apply to be associated to the programme (i.e. implementing bodies).

•Fundamental rights

The proposal is in line with and respects the Union values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union. The objectives of the proposed initiative are closely linked to the promotion of fundamental rights and the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. As described in detail in the 2024 Annual Report on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights 34 , the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme contributes to fundamental rights across all its fields. Similarly, this proposal will contribute to the promotion and protection of rights enshrined in Article 8 (protection of personal data), Article 11 (freedom of expression and information), Article 13 (freedom of arts and sciences, including academic freedom), Article 14 (right to education), Article 15 (freedom to choose an occupation and right to engage in work), Articles 20 and 21 (equality and non-discrimination), Article 22 (cultural, religious and linguistic diversity), Article 23 (equality between women and men), Article 24 (rights of the child), Article 26 (rights of persons with disabilities), 31 (fair and just working conditions), Article 33 (family and professional life), Articles 39 to 46 (citizens’ rights) of the Charter. This is mainly achieved by funding projects and initiatives that contribute to the practical application of these fundamental rights.

4.BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS

5.OTHER ELEMENTS

•Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements

This initiative will be monitored through the common performance framework for the post-2027 budget. The performance framework provides for an implementation report during the implementation phase of the Programme, as well as a retrospective evaluation to be carried out in accordance with Article 34(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. The evaluation shall be conducted in accordance with the Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines and will be based on indicators relevant to the objectives of the Programme.

The Commission will report to the European Parliament, Council and all other relevant EU institutions regularly. 

A significant part of the Programme will be implemented in indirect management, mainly through national agencies. The remaining parts of the Programme will be implemented in direct management, mostly by an Executive Agency under the supervision of the Commission services responsible for the Programme. 

•Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal

The Regulation sets out the provisions for an Erasmus+ programme that covers education and training, youth and sport and integrates the opportunities offered by the European Solidarity Corps including the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps under the 2021-2027 MFF, offering a comprehensive EU instrument to contribute to high quality lifelong learning, enhance skills and key competences for all, for life and for jobs, while promoting societal engagement and civic education, solidarity and social inclusion. The Programme is a key instrument to support the implementation of the Union's policies in the field of education, training, youth and sport. The specific objectives are intervention based.

Chapter I – ‘General provisions of the proposed Regulation set out its subject-matter, the definitions of certain terms for the purposes of this Regulation, as well as the general and specific objectives of the Programme.

The Programme is structured around a pillar on learning opportunities for all and a pillar on capacity building that combines cooperation among organisations and institutions and support to policy development, covering all fields of education and training, youth and sport.

Chapter II – ‘Scope of intervention’ identifies the activities envisaged in order to achieve the objectives of the proposed Regulation. Under learning opportunities for all, the Programme will support learning mobility in all fields and volunteering opportunities in the field of youth on the one hand and talent and excellence development opportunities on the other. It also covers the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps. This strand includes as well a new vision of extending mobility to ensure that all young Europeans get the possibility to have an Erasmus+ experience at an earlier age when values and attitudes are formed, as well as new opportunities (Erasmus+ scholarships) introduced to enable students to undertake studies in strategic educational fields and existing opportunities moved under this strand for coherence and clarity, including Erasmus Mundus scholarships and Jean Monnet actions in the field of higher education.

Chapter III – ‘Inclusion and diversity’ identifies the focus the Programme should have on inclusion and diversity as well as measures and tools to reach out to more participants with fewer opportunities.

Chapter IV – ‘Financial provisions’ sets out the budgetary envelope of the Programme for the programming period and the envisaged forms of Union funding. It also provides that an additional financial contribution should be allocated under other instruments. The Chapter identifies the forms and functioning of synergies as well with other funds and resources. In addition, this Chapter also specifies some specific rules applicable to direct and indirect management such as for the allocation of funds under indirect management.

Chapter V – ‘Participation in the Programme’ specifies criteria for the participating countries. It specifies which third countries can be associated to the Programme, either in full or in part and the conditions under which they can take part in. The Chapter also identifies which entities are eligible to receive funding.

Chapter VI – ‘Programming’ specifies that the Programme will be implemented by work programmes.

Chapter VII – ‘Information, communication and dissemination’ sets out the requirements for all the actors concerned in terms of dissemination of information, publicity and follow-up with regard to all actions supported by the Programme.

Chapter VIII – ‘Management and audit system’ establishes the provision for the establishment and functioning of the implementing bodies of the Programme. In management terms, the proposed delivery mechanism is a combination of indirect management and direct management. The combination of management modes builds on the existing structures of the current programme. National agencies will be in charge of managing the large majority of the Programme’s funds. The Chapter also lays down the necessary supervisory system to ensure that the protection of the financial interests of the Union is duly taken into account when actions financed under this Regulation are implemented.

Chapter IX – ‘Transitional and final provisions’ sets out the necessary provisions to ensure the transition between programmes. The final provisions set out the date of entry into force of the proposed Regulation which will be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

2025/0222 (COD)

Proposal for a

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034, and repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/817 and (EU) 2021/888

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 165(4), 166(4) and 214(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee 35 ,

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions 36 ,

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Whereas:

The Union needs to support and prepare its people, starting from an early age, with the knowledge, skills and competences needed for success in learning, work, and life. To enable this, the Union needs performing, agile, innovative and inclusive education and training systems, able to nurture, attract and retain talent, to keep up with the pace and scope of the ongoing societal, digital, environmental and economic transformations, respond to the demographic challenges and the society’s and economy’s skills needs, bridge skills gaps and satisfy industry needs in critical sectors.

The Union is a community of values rooted in Europe's history and identity and anchored in the Treaty on the EU. Understanding those values, including fundamental rights and democracy, is an essential life skill and key to participation in the political debate and decision making. Education and training, youth and sport activities help equip citizens with the skills and competences to thrive, actively and meaningfully participate in democratic life and in the society overall, and help people connect around and defend shared values.

The Union is built on solidarity, both among its citizens and among the Member States. That universal value guides the actions of the Union and provides the unity necessary to cope with societal challenges, which individuals are willing to help address in practice, notably through volunteering.

It is essential that all people, irrespective of their personal, social, economic or cultural background, have the opportunity to participate in a mobility experience abroad from an early age, when values and attitudes are formed and when individuals are most receptive to new experiences and influences. Early exposure to different environments, cultures, languages and ways of life can help to break down stereotypes, promote intercultural understanding, and instil values of respect, tolerance and solidarity, thereby contributing to a more united and harmonious Europe.

Building inclusive, cohesive and resilient societies, and sustaining the competitiveness of the Union requires investing in learning opportunities for all, regardless of background and means, in cooperation between Member States and organisations active in the field, and in innovative policy development in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. Such an investment also contributes to strengthening European identity, fundamental rights and values and a more democratic Union.

In line with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy 37 , preparedness, resilience, participation in democratic life and civic engagement should be fostered through a bottom-up approach, encouraging organisations and institutions to play a key role in fostering digital and media literacy, critical thinking, promoting civic engagement, and learning about democracy and citizenship. People and communities across the EU must engage actively to prevent crises and to be sufficiently prepared to respond to them.

Common areas of action and objectives between the 2021-2027 European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ programmes highlight the potential for enhanced synergy and regulatory coherence. Bringing all learning mobility, volunteering, cooperation and active citizenship opportunities together provides a single-entry point to all opportunities offered by the Union for young people and organisations active in the field of youth, allowing for a more coordinated and effective approach, and easier access for potential participants and beneficiaries.

In this context, it is necessary to establish Erasmus+ 2028-2034, the Union Programme for education and training and also in the fields of youth and sport (the ‘Programme’), as the successor to the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ 38 and European Solidarity Corps 39 Programmes, which encompasses actions in the field of education and training, youth and sport and sets up the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps.

In a rapidly changing economic, social and geopolitical environment, experience has shown the need for a more flexible multiannual financial framework and Union spending programmes. To that effect, and in line with the objectives of the Erasmus+ programme, the funding should duly consider the evolving policy needs and Union’s priorities as identified in relevant documents published by the Commission, in Council conclusions and European Parliament resolutions, while ensuring sufficient predictability for the budget implementation.

The Programme should support the implementation of the Union of Skills 40 and the overall strategic frameworks for Union policy cooperation in the fields of education and training, including the policy agendas for school education, higher education, vocational education and training and adult learning, including up-skilling and re-skilling, to allow citizens to develop competences and skills at all stages of their life to thrive in society.

In line with the EU Youth Strategy 41 , the European Youth Work Agenda 42 and the 2024 Communication on the legacy of the European Year of Youth 2022 43 , the Programme should support meaningful participation of young people and youth organisations in decision and policy making, youth mainstreaming across policy fields, the validation of non-formal and informal learning, high-quality youth work and competence development of youth workers. The programme will continue to support all young people to participate in learning mobility and non-formal learning mobility, including youth exchanges and youth participation activities, with the objective to engage and empower young people to acquire and develop competences for life and their professional future, to become active citizens and participate in economic, social, cultural, democratic and political life, and to connect them to the European project and contribute to building an inclusive, competitive and resilient Union.

The Programme should support participation in sport and physical activity for all, in line with the EU Work Plan for Sport 2024-2027 44 . Therefore, there is a need to focus, in particular, on grassroots sport, taking into account the important role that sport plays in promoting healthy lifestyles, interpersonal relations, social inclusion and equality as well as building cohesive communities. 

Digital transformation has changed society and the economy with an ever-deepening impact on everyday life and demonstrated the need for higher levels of digital readiness and capacity of education and training as well as the pressing need for digital skills development for all across the Union.

Formal, informal and non-formal learning play an essential role in addressing climate change, raising awareness and instilling the skills and key competences needed for changing personal behaviours. The Programme will help empowering people to act in their respective communities and build up the needed skills for a successful clean transition, in line with the Clean Industrial Deal.

The international dimension of the Programme should aim to offer opportunities for learning mobility, cooperation and policy dialogue with third countries not associated to the Programme, building on the experience of predecessor programmes, including to contribute to competitiveness of the Union, while ensuring protection of the Union’s economic security interests. To increase the impact of those activities, it is important to enhance synergies between the Programme and Global Europe, taking into account the enlargement of the Union, the Global Gateway Strategy and the education and training, youth and sport policy frameworks.  

The Programme should bring candidate countries and potential candidates closer to their goal of acceding to the Union. The Programme should promote stability, partnerships and skills development, with countries in the wider neighbourhood including by enhancing ties with the Mediterranean region. Through cooperation with other countries across the globe, the Programme should as well attract talents worldwide, and shape partnerships notably to promote competitiveness of the Union. The Programme should support countries in modernising their institutions and organisations and, more generally, enhancing the quality and inclusiveness of education, training, youth and sport through international partnerships.

The implementation of the Programme should be guided by the principles and values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law, and solidarity, as respectively enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union and referred to in the preamble of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It is thus essential that all parties involved in the Programme respect those principles and values. The Programme should as well respect the principles set out in the 2017 EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child and in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as the Union of Equality strategies.

The Programme should encourage participation, in particular of young people, in Europe’s democratic life, including by supporting activities that contribute to citizenship education, nurture skills needed for civic engagement and enable to engage and learn to participate in civic society, thereby raising awareness of European common values, including fundamental rights, facilitating interaction with decision-makers at local, national and European levels and contributing to the process of European integration. The Programme should also support the creation of opportunities and mechanisms for meaningful youth participation.

The Programme should offer accessible, inclusive and safe opportunities for young people and organisations to show solidarity, helping them support communities and address societal challenges, while gaining valuable experience and skills for their personal growth and employability.

Volunteering, both within and beyond the Union, constitutes a rich experience in a non-formal and informal learning context, enabling young people to show solidarity and engage in activities contributing to address societal and humanitarian challenges while enhancing their personal, socio-educational and professional development, active citizenship, civic participation and employability. The Programme should thus also support “European Solidarity Corps” volunteering actions, including the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps. Those actions were covered under the European Solidarity Corps programme in the 2021-2027 programming period.

With a view to enhancing the promotion of solidarity and the visibility of humanitarian aid and development cooperation among European citizens, there is a need to develop solidarity of Member States and third countries associated to the programme with third countries not associated affected by disasters from natural hazards and human-induced risks. The European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps should contribute to a coordinated Union needs-based response and will be implemented in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down in this Regulation.

Young people, in particular those with fewer opportunities, should continue to be given the chance to have a first time, 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.

In the field of sport, through mobility opportunities and capacity building, including cooperation, the Programme should foster common European values, volunteering as well as innovation and skills development in and through sport. The Programme should also promote good governance, safety and integrity in sport, sport diplomacy, support grassroots sports organisations, as well as offer young people across Europe the opportunity to participate in cross-border sports initiatives, fostering personal growth, cultural exchange, solidarity and community engagement.

The Programme brings a key contribution to the Union of Skills and the European Education Area, laying the foundation to skills and competences formation throughout life and providing a genuine common space for quality education and lifelong learning across borders. The Union of skills aims to step up the efforts to achieve high quality education, training, and lifelong learning through delivering basic and advanced skills, providing opportunities for people to update regularly and acquire new and future-oriented skills, facilitating skills circulation and recruitment by businesses across the EU, and attracting, developing and retaining top talent in Europe. In line with the Union of Skills, the Programme should also reflect the importance of entrepreneurship education and financial literacy.

It is important to stimulate and widen access to learning, teaching and research on EU, values and citizenship. Fostering a European sense of belonging and commitment is particularly important given the challenges faced today by the Union. The Programme should continue to contribute to learning on European integration matters, including the Union’s future challenges and opportunities, to promote debate on those matters and the development of excellence in European integration studies.

The learning of languages contributes to mutual understanding between people and cultures, and fosters mobility within and outside the Union, as language competences are essential life and job skills. Therefore, the Programme should enhance the learning of languages, including, where relevant, national sign languages. To ensure broad and inclusive access to the Programme, it is important that multilingualism be a key principle in the implementation of the Programme.

Europe faces a growing challenge in meeting the demand for skilled talent in strategic and evolving sectors like clean and circular technologies, transport, energy, water resilience, healthcare, digital technologies, aerospace and defence. To address this key need, it is essential to develop, attract and retain talented individuals in these fields. In line with the Union of skills, the Programme should among other support EU students to pursue studies in such critical sectors and attract as well top talent to Europe by enhancing the attractiveness of education and training and offering scholarships to students, including through Erasmus Mundus scholarships. This would contribute to address the skills needs for the labour market, including for sectors suffering severe staff shortages.

Cooperation enables exchange of practices and capacity building and thereby leads to better outcomes and performance as well as efficiency gains by pooling resources and knowledge. The Programme should therefore support capacity building measures that enhance cooperation at different levels between institutions and organisations that are active in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. This recognises the fundamental role of institutions and organisations in equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed in a changing world and helping institutions and organisations active in the field to adequately fulfil their potential for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, in particular within the digital economy.

The Programme should support long-term strategic cooperation at institutional level to build excellence, competitiveness and attractiveness and generate sustainable and systemic transformation of education and training, youth and sport organisations and institutions, in line with the EU’s priorities, including by acting as testbeds for innovative education, training and skills development instruments, supporting cooperation with business and industry. The Programme should continue to support the work of education and training institutions and Member States towards removing remaining barriers to transnational cooperation and multiplying the offer of transnational joint study programmes, contributing towards a joint European Degree 45 .

The Programme should support the core education mission of the European Universities Alliances to enable systemic impact achieved more efficiently through long-term Union level action, notably to reinforce excellence, reduce fragmentation and increase the attractiveness and inclusiveness of EU higher education systems, develop innovative instruments to increase quality of learning and teaching, develop future oriented skills and competences (such as AI, cybersecurity, sustainability, STEM), including the sectors already identified in the Union of Skills, through relevant and future-proof curricula, pedagogical innovation, joint degrees, lifelong learning, micro-credentials, to nurture and attract talent and facilitate transnational cooperation in education, including with business and industry.

In line with relevant Union frameworks and tools, the Programme should contribute to the development and circulation of skills, including by setting up a basic skills support scheme and fostering quality assurance, transparency, the recognition of skills, competences and qualifications, their digitalisation, and 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 European level that facilitate cross-European exchanges and beyond, and the development of flexible learning pathways between different fields of education and training and youth and across formal and non-formal settings, including through the support of micro-credentials’ eco-systems.

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 Europe and beyond. To increase the use of virtual cooperation activities, the Programme should support more systematic and coherent use of online platforms. It should as well facilitate and support mobility processes through digitalisation.

The Programme should be designed to promote inclusion, diversity and equal opportunities by widening access to mobility, volunteering and learning across the Union and beyond, thereby enabling all people to fully benefit from a transformative experience.

The Programme should provide for a set of measures to facilitate and increase the access for people with fewer opportunities, to remove the obstacles that may prevent such access, including financial ones, and to serve as a basis for further implementation guidance. Those measures include, among other, targeted financial support, accessible learning formats, housing support, preparatory activities and support for participants with fewer opportunities before, during and after their participation within the Programme, user-friendly and accessible documents available in different languages, support activities for staff dealing specifically with inclusion and diversity in organisations and raising awareness activities among potential participants with fewer opportunities, including in rural and remote areas. In addition, the Programme should allow to give priority in the grant awarding process to quality projects that actively address the inclusion and involvement of participants with fewer opportunities.

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, the Programme should reinforce the measures to simplify procedures at all stages.

This Regulation lays down an indicative financial envelope for the Programme. For the purpose of this Regulation, current prices are calculated by applying a fixed 2% deflator.

In view of the diversity of the fields covered by the Programme, the ambition for youth and sport to contribute meaningfully to the Programme’s objectives and to reach its target groups, should be maintained.

Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council 46 applies to this Programme. It lays down the rules on the establishment and the implementation of the general budget of the Union, including the rules on grants, prizes, non-financial donations, procurement, indirect management, financial assistance, financial instruments, budgetary guarantees and protection of the financial interests of the Union.

In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council 47  , Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 48 , Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 49 and Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 50 , the financial interests of the Union are to be protected through proportionate measures, including the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities and fraud, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used and, where appropriate, the imposition of administrative sanctions. In particular, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 and (EC, Euratom) No 2185/96 the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) may carry out 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. In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) may investigate and prosecute fraud and other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union as provided for in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council 51 . In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, any person or entity receiving Union funds is to fully cooperate in the protection of the Union’s financial interests, to grant the necessary rights and access to the Commission, OLAF, EPPO and the European Court of Auditors and to ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds grant equivalent rights.

In order to simplify requirements for beneficiaries, simplified cost options in the form of lump sums, unit costs and flat rates should be used to the maximum possible extent. Simplified cost options to support learning mobility under the Programme should take into account the living and subsistence costs in the host country. In accordance with national law, Member States should 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.

It is appropriate to ensure that the 2021-2027 Programmes are closed correctly, in particular as regards the continuation of multiannual arrangements for their management, such as the financing of technical and administrative assistance. As from 1 January 2028, the technical and administrative assistance should ensure, where necessary, the management of actions that have not been finalised under the 2021-2027 Programmes by 31 December 2027.

In line with Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Programme should take into account the specific situation of the outermost regions referred to in that Article, including measures to facilitate their participation to the Programme.

Pursuant to Article 85 (1) of Council Decision (EU) 2021/1764 52 , persons and entities established in overseas countries and territories are eligible for funding under the Programme subject to the rules and objectives and to any specific arrangement applicable to the Member State to which the relevant overseas country or territory is linked.

The Programme is to be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU) [XXX]* of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance], which establishes the rules for the expenditure tracking and the performance framework for the budget, including rules for ensuring a uniform application of the principles of ‘do no significant harm’ and gender equality referred to in Article 33(2), points (d), and (f), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 respectively, rules for monitoring and reporting on the performance of Union programmes and activities, rules for establishing a Union funding portal, rules for the evaluation of the programmes, as well as other horizontal provisions applicable to all Union programmes such as those on information, communication and visibility. 

In view to optimise the added value, increase scale and impact of investments, synergies should be sought in particular between the Programme and other Union funding instruments, including through enabling mechanisms. The Programme should seek as well synergies that strengthen collaboration between education and the private sector.

The Programme should allow for full and partial association of third countries. The Programme should also support the participation of third countries that are not associated to the Programme where those countries are identified in the work programme, their participation contributes to achieve the objectives of the programme and is essential for the implementation of the action.

Appropriate and inclusive outreach, publicity of the opportunities supported by the Programme should be ensured at local, national and Union level and should take into account the main target groups of the Programme and, where relevant, a wide variety of other target groups. Furthermore, the Commission and the implementing bodies should facilitate the sharing of good practices and project results and gather feedback on the Programme.

The Programme should mobilise the potential of former participants in the Erasmus+ Programme and support related activities by encouraging them to promote the Programme.

Measures should be taken to streamline the management of the Programme and achieve economies of scale including by limiting and reducing the number of national agencies.

Regulations (EU) 2021/817 53 and (EU) 2021/888 54 should be repealed with effect from 1 January 2028.

In order to ensure continuity in providing support in the relevant policy area and to allow implementation to start from the beginning of the 2028-2034 MFF, this Regulation should enter into force on and apply from 1 January 2028.

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

Subject matter

This Regulation establishes Erasmus+, the Union programme for action in the fields of education and training and also in the fields of youth and sport (the ‘Programme’) and lays down the objectives of the Programme, its budget for the period 2028-2034, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding. This Regulation also sets up the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

(1)‘adult learner’ means a person who has left or finished initial education and training and engages in formal, non-formal or informal learning, including NEET;

(2)‘adult learning’ means any form of formal, non-formal or informal learning for adults, encompassing opportunities for skills development, upskilling and reskilling for competitiveness, enhancing social cohesion and supporting active participation in society;

(3)‘grassroots sport’ means physical leisure activities practiced regularly at non-professional level by people of all ages for health, educational or social purposes;

(4)‘higher education institution’ means an institution which, in accordance with regional, national, or international law or practice, offers quality assured degrees or other recognised tertiary level qualifications, regardless of what such an establishment is called, or a comparable institution at tertiary level which is considered by the national/regional authorities or the European Commission as eligible to participate in the Programme in the respective territories;

(5)‘higher education student’ means a person enrolled at a higher education institution, including at short-cycle, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral level or equivalent or a person who recently completed a degree from such an institution;

(6)‘European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps’ refers to volunteering activities that support post-crisis long-term humanitarian aid and development cooperation operations in third countries not associated to the Programme, that are intended to provide needs-based assistance aimed at preventing and alleviating human suffering, and maintaining durable human dignity in the face of crises, and that include actions that aim to reinforce disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction, link relief, rehabilitation and development and contribute towards strengthening the resilience and capacity of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities to cope with and recover from crises;

(7)‘informal learning’ means learning resulting from daily activities and experiences which is not organised or structured in terms of objectives, time or learning support; it may be unintentional from the learner’s perspective;

(8)‘joint study programme’ means a programme coordinated and offered jointly by different higher education institutions from two or more countries and leading to the award of a joint degree;

(9)‘lifelong learning’ means learning in all its forms, whether formal, non-formal or informal, taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes, including through micro credentials or participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective, such as the provision of counselling and guidance services; it includes early childhood education and care, general education, vocational education and training, higher education, adult learning, youth work and other learning settings outside formal education and training and it typically promotes cross-sectoral cooperation and flexible learning pathways;

(10)‘learning mobility’ means moving physically to a country other than the country of residence, in order to undertake study, training, teaching, or non-formal or informal learning;

(11)‘non-formal learning’ means learning which takes place outside formal education and training through planned activities in terms of learning objectives and learning time and where some form of learning support is present;

(12)‘people with fewer opportunities’ means people who, for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons or due to their migrant background, or for reasons such as disability or educational difficulties or for any other reason, including a reason that could constitute discrimination under Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the Programme;

(13)‘school pupil’ means a person enrolled in a learning capacity at an institution providing general education at any level from early childhood education and care to upper secondary education or a person schooled outside an institutional setting considered by the competent authorities as eligible to participate in the Programme as a school pupil in their respective territories;

(14)‘staff’ means a person who, on either a professional or a voluntary basis, is involved in education, training or non-formal and informal learning at all levels, including sport; it includes academic staff, teachers, trainers, school leaders, youth workers, sport staff, early childhood education and care staff, non-educational staff and other practitioners involved on a regular basis in promoting learning;

(15)‘third country’ means a country that is not an EU Member State;

(16)‘vocational education and training learner’ means a person enrolled in an initial or continuous vocational education and training programme at any level from secondary to post-secondary level or a person who has recently graduated or obtained a qualification from such a programme;

(17)‘volunteering’ means an unpaid activity that addresses societal or humanitarian challenges and has a strong learning component;

(18)‘young people’ in the field of youth means individuals aged between 13 and 30; 

(19)‘youth worker’ means a person who, on either a professional or a voluntary basis, is involved in non-formal learning and supports young people in their personal socio-educational and professional development and the development of their competences; it includes persons who plan, steer, coordinate and implement activities in the field of youth.

Article 3

Programme objectives

1.The general objective of the Programme is to contribute to a resilient, competitive, and cohesive Europe by promoting high quality lifelong learning, enhancing skills and competences for life and for jobs for all, while fostering Union values, democratic and societal participation, solidarity, social inclusion and equal opportunities, in the EU and beyond. The Programme shall be a key instrument for building the Union of Skills, developing the European Education Area and supporting the implementation of European strategic cooperation in the fields of education and training, including its underlying sectoral agendas.

The Programme will advance youth policy cooperation and further develop the European dimension in sport. The objective is to foster a more inclusive, united, and robust Europe by empowering young people, strengthening community ties, and promoting solidarity through meaningful engagement and cooperation. Sport plays a vital role as a driver for social inclusion, health, education, and community development. By investing in youth, volunteering, and sport, the Programme aims to build stronger, more connected societies, encourage civic and democratic engagement, and contribute to social cohesion at all levels.

2.The Programme has the following specific objectives:

(a)support the improvement of education, skills and competences with particular regard to their relevance for the labour market as well as to the professional development and personal growth of the individual and to their contribution to a competitive, sustainable and cohesive society;

(b)foster a sense of European identity and active citizenship, enhance solidarity and active participation in society and democracy, inducing a positive societal impact, greater resilience and better preparedness to anticipate, prevent and respond to risks of different nature;

(c)foster quality, inclusion, equity, sustainability, creativity, innovation, excellence and cross-border collaboration, strengthening Europe’s attractiveness and competitiveness globally, across all fields of education and training, youth and sport;

(d)engage and empower young people to acquire and develop professional and personal competences, to participate actively in society and democracy and connect them to the European project;

(e)support policy development, including for circulation of skills, accelerating reforms and modernisation at systems' level, across all fields of education and training, youth and sport, ensuring that they are more effective, resilient and inclusive;

(f)provide young people with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity and humanitarian activities that induce positive societal changes in the Union and beyond (the latter through setting up the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps), while improving and properly validating their competences, as well as facilitating their continuous engagement as active citizens;

(g)promote the European Sport Model by investing in grassroots sport, especially voluntary activities, ensuring accessibility, promoting participation, protecting integrity, supporting good governance, and reinforcing sport’s social, educational, and community role, through actions that focus on building a fair, inclusive, and sustainable sport system across Europe.

3.The Programme objectives shall be pursued through the following pillars, which mainly have either a transnational or an international character: 

(a)Learning opportunities for all;

(b)Capacity building support. 

CHAPTER II

SCOPE OF INTERVENTION

Section 1

Learning opportunities for all

Article 4

Learning mobility and volunteering opportunities

1.In the field of education and training, the Programme shall support:

(a)Learning mobility of higher education students and staff;

(b)Learning mobility of vocational education and training learners and staff;

(c)Learning mobility of school pupils and staff, including staff in early childhood education and care;

(d)Learning mobility of adult learners and staff in adult learning.

2.In the field of youth, the Programme shall support: 

(a)Learning mobility of young people, including DiscoverEU, activities supporting youth participation and learning mobility of youth workers;

(b)‘European Solidarity Corps’ volunteering, including the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps.

3.In the field of sport, the Programme shall support learning mobility of athletes and people active in grassroots sport and learning mobility of sport staff.

4.Learning mobility under this Article may be accompanied by: 

(a)support to teaching and learning about the EU, including European integration, values and citizenship;

(b)measures such as language support, preparatory visits, training and virtual cooperation.

Article 5

Talent and excellence development opportunities

In the field of education and training, the Programme shall support:

(a)Erasmus+ scholarships in strategic educational fields, including in joint study programmes;

(b)Erasmus Mundus scholarships;

(c)Jean Monnet actions in the field of higher education;

(d)Support to the following Jean Monnet institutions pursuing an aim of European interest: the European University Institute, Florence, including its School of Transnational Governance; the College of Europe (Bruges, including its subsidiary in Tirana, and Natolin campuses); the European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht; the Academy of European Law, Trier; the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, Odense; and the International Centre for European Training, Nice.

Section 2

Capacity building support

Article 6

Cooperation among organisations and institutions

The Programme shall support:

(a)Partnerships for cooperation, including small-scale partnerships to foster wider and more inclusive access to the Programme;

(b)Partnerships for excellence and innovation, building on the European Universities Alliances, Centres of Vocational Excellence, European Teacher Academies, European School Alliances, Joint study programmes, European Youth Together and Sport Collaborative Alliances.

Article 7

Support to policy development

The Programme shall support:

(a)Experimentation, preparation and implementation of the Union’s policy agendas and tools covering skills, education and training, youth and sport 55 ; 

(b)Programme implementation including synergies with, and support to other Union policies and programmes, online platforms, tools for virtual cooperation and tools to facilitate learning mobility;

(c)Dissemination and communication.

CHAPTER III

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Article 8

Support measures for inclusion and diversity

1.When implementing this Regulation, the Commission, Member States and third countries associated to the Programme shall ensure an inclusive approach across all activities.

2.The Commission, Member States and third countries associated to the Programme shall take effective measures to promote inclusion, diversity and fairness, solidarity, and equal opportunities, in particular to ensure participation of people with fewer opportunities in the Programme.

3.The Commission shall support access to the Programme from an early age and independent of socio-economic background. To achieve that, it shall ensure the provision of measures to facilitate the participation of people with fewer opportunities, including financial support mechanisms, where relevant.

4.The Commission may adjust or may authorise the national agencies referred to in Article 19 to adjust, on the basis of objective criteria, the financial support mechanisms to improve access to people with fewer opportunities.

5.The costs of measures to facilitate or support the participation of people with fewer opportunities shall not justify the rejection of an application under the Programme.

6.The national agencies referred to in Article 19 shall develop or update where relevant, national inclusion and diversity action plans, based on the framework, and with particular attention to the specific challenges to access the programme within the national contexts. The national inclusion and diversity plans shall form an integral part of the national agencies’ planning documents as referred to in Article 19(2). 

7.The Commission shall monitor on a regular basis the implementation of the inclusion and diversity measures, including the national inclusion and diversity plans.

CHAPTER IV

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

Article 9

Budget

1.The indicative financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme for the period 2028-2034 is set at EUR 40 827 000 000 in current prices.

2.In addition to the amounts set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, and in order to promote the international dimension of the Programme, an additional financial contribution shall be made available from Regulation (EU) [XXX]* of the European Parliament and of the Council [Global Europe]to support actions implemented and managed in accordance with this Regulation. Such contribution shall be in line with a single programming document drawn up under Regulation (EU) XXX[Global Europe].

3.Appropriations may be entered in the Union budget beyond 2034 to cover the expenses necessary and to enable the management of actions not completed by the end of the Programme.

4.The financial envelope referred to in paragraph 1 and 2 of this Article and the amounts of additional resources referred to in Article 10 may also be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Programme, such as preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, specific and corporate information technology systems and platforms, information and communication activities, including corporate communication on the political priorities of the Union, and all other technical and administrative assistance or staff-related expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of the Programme.

Article 10

Additional resources

1.Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, or other third parties, may make additional financial or non-financial contributions to the Programme. Additional financial contributions shall constitute external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2), points (a), (d), or (e) or Article 21(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

2.Resources allocated to Member States under shared management may, at their request, be made available to the Programme. The Commission shall implement those resources directly or indirectly in accordance with Article 62(1), point (a) or (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. They shall be additional to the amount referred to in Article 9(1). Those resources shall be used for the benefit of the Member State concerned. Where the Commission has not entered into a legal commitment under direct or indirect management for additional amounts thus made available to the Programme, the corresponding uncommitted amounts may, at the request of the Member State concerned, be transferred back to one or more respective source programmes or their successors.

Article 11

Alternative, combined and cumulative funding

1.The Programme shall be implemented in synergy with other Union programmes. An action that has received a Union contribution from another programme may also receive a contribution under the Programme. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution, or a single set of rules may be applied to all contributions and a single legal commitment may be concluded. If the Union contribution is based on eligible costs, the cumulative support from the Union budget shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the action and may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support.

2.Award procedures under the Programme may be jointly conducted under direct or indirect management with Member States, Union institutions, bodies and agencies, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, or other third parties (‘partners to the joint award procedure’), provided the protection of the financial interests of the Union is ensured. Such procedures shall be subject to a single set of rules and lead to the conclusion of single legal commitments. For that purpose, the partners to the joint award procedure may make resources available to the Programme in accordance with Article 10, or the partners may be entrusted with the implementation of the award procedure, where applicable in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. In joint award procedures, representatives of the partners to the joint award procedure may also be members of the evaluation committee referred to in Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, EURATOM) 2024/2509.

Article 12

Implementation and forms of Union funding

1.The Programme shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, under direct management or under indirect management with entities referred to in Article 62(1), point (c) of that Regulation.

2.The funds implemented under indirect management in a Member State shall be allocated on the basis of:

(a)the population of and cost of living in the Member State concerned;

(b)the distance between capitals of Member States;

(c)performance, calculated based on the most recent data available.

3.The Commission shall further specify those criteria and their underlying formulae in the work programmes referred to in Article 15.

4.Union funding may be provided in any form in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, in particular grants, prizes, procurement, and non-financial donations.

5.Where Union funding is provided in the form of a grant, funding shall be provided as financing not linked to costs or, where necessary, simplified cost options, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. Funding may be provided in the form of actual eligible cost reimbursement only where the objectives of an action cannot be achieved otherwise.

6.For the purpose of Article 153(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, the evaluation committee may be composed partially or fully of independent external experts.

7.Public legal entities, and institutions and organisations in the fields of education and training, youth and sport that have received over 50 % of their annual revenue from public sources over the last two years, shall be considered as having the necessary financial and operational capacity to carry out activities under the Programme. They shall not be required to present further documentation to demonstrate that capacity.

CHAPTER V

PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAMME

Article 13

Third countries associated to the Programme

1.The Programme may be opened to the participation of the following third countries through full or partial association, in accordance with the objectives laid down in Article 3, and with the relevant international agreements or any decisions adopted under the framework of those agreements and applicable to:

(a)members of the European Free Trade Association which are members of the European Economic Area, as well as European micro-states;

(b)acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates;

(c)European Neighbourhood Policy countries;

(d)other third countries.

2.The association agreements for participation in the Programme shall:

(a)ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country participating in the Programme;

(b)lay down the conditions of participation in the programmes, including the calculation of financial contributions, consisting of an operational contribution and a participation fee, to a programme and its general administrative costs;

(c)not confer on the third country any decision-making power in the Programme;

(d)guarantee the rights of the Union to ensure sound financial management and to protect its financial interests;

(e)where relevant, ensure the protection of security and public order interests of the Union.

For the purposes of point (d) , the third country shall grant the necessary rights and access required under Regulations (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, and guarantee that enforcement decisions imposing a pecuniary obligation on the basis of Article 299 TFEU, as well as judgements and orders of the Court of Justice of the European Union, are enforceable.

Article 14

Eligibility

1.Eligibility criteria shall be set to support achievement of the objectives laid down in Article 3, in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

2.In award procedures under direct and indirect management one or more of the following legal entities may be eligible to receive Union funding:

(a)entities established in a Member State;

(b)entities established in an associated third country;

(c)international organisations;

(d)other entities established in non-associated third countries where the funding of such entities is essential for implementing the action and contributes to the objectives laid down in Article 3.

3.In addition to Article 168(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, associated third countries referred to in Article 13(1) may, where relevant, participate in and benefit from any procurement mechanisms set in Article 168(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. Rules applicable to Member States shall be applied, mutatis mutandis, to participating associated third countries.

4.Award procedures affecting security or public order, in particular concerning strategic assets and interests of the Union or its Member States, shall be restricted in accordance with Article 136 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. 

5.The work programme referred to in Article 110 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 or the documents related to the award procedure may further specify the eligibility criteria set out in this Regulation or set additional eligibility criteria for specific actions.

CHAPTER VI

PROGRAMMING

Article 15

Work programme

The Programme shall be implemented by work programmes referred to in Article 110 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

CHAPTER VII

COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION

Article 16

Information, communication and dissemination

1.In cooperation with the Commission, the national agencies referred to in Article 19 shall develop a consistent communication strategy with regard to effective outreach and to the dissemination and exploitation of the results of activities supported under the actions they manage within the Programme. The national authorities referred to in Article 18 shall support the national agencies in exploiting the results of projects with high potential for impact.

2.The national agencies referred to in Article 19 shall assist the Commission in its general task of disseminating information concerning the Programme, including information in respect of actions and activities managed at national and Union level, and its results. National agencies shall inform relevant target groups about the actions and activities undertaken in their respective countries.

3.The actions and activities referred to in paragraph 1 and 2 shall be implemented in accordance with Regulation (EU) [XXX]* of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance] which establishes the rules for the expenditure tracking and the performance framework for the budget, including the rules applicable to all Union programmes regarding information, communication and visibility obligations, including in particular obligations for beneficiaries and implementing partners.

CHAPTER VIII

MANAGEMENT AND AUDIT SYSTEM

Article 17

Arrangements for indirect management at national level

1.In accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 157(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, the implementation of the Programme under indirect management requires the designation of a national authority and a national agency, as specified in Articles 18 and 19.

2.The national authority and the national agency shall both be considered as implementing bodies under point (c) of Article 62(1) of the Financial Regulation to the extent of their responsibility for budget implementation tasks as agreed with the Commission, with the national authority retaining principal responsibility towards the Commission for the overall implementation of EU funds by the national agency it designates and supervises as referred to in Article 18(10).

Article 18

National authority

1.The Member States and the third countries associated to the Programme shall notify the Commission, through their Permanent Representation or Mission to the European Union, of the public law body designated as the national authority for the purposes of this Regulation, and the person or persons legally authorised to act on its behalf.

2.The national authority shall designate a national agency for the duration of the Programme and notify the Commission thereof. The national authority shall not designate a ministry as a national agency and the national agency shall be organisationally separate from the national authority.

3.The national authority shall designate an independent audit body as referred to in Article 21.

4.The national authority shall provide the Commission with an appropriate ex ante assessment that the national agency satisfies the minimum requirements set out in Article 157(1) to (5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and the Union requirements for internal control standards for national agencies and rules for the management of Programme funds.

For the purposes of the first subparagraph, the following arrangements shall apply:

(a)for the procedures specifically required by the Commission, including its own and those specified in this Regulation, no ex ante assessment shall be done in line with point (b) of Article 157(7) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509; 

(b)for procedures other than those specified in point (a), the national authority shall make an ex ante assessment, which shall be based on its own controls and audits or on controls and audits undertaken by the independent audit body; 

(c)where the national agency designated for the Programme is the same as the national agency designated in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2021/817 and (EU) 2021/888, the scope of the ex ante assessment shall be limited to the requirements that are new, unless otherwise justified.

5.In the event that the Commission rejects the designation of the national agency based on its evaluation of the ex ante assessment, or if the national agency does not comply with the minimum requirements set by the Commission, the national authority shall ensure that the necessary remedial steps are taken to ensure compliance, subject to approval by the Commission, or shall designate another body as national agency. In exceptional cases where a national agency ceases to operate or to exist and the national authority itself carries out budget implementation tasks in accordance with this Regulation and relevant agreements thereunder, it shall be exempted from the ex ante assessment.

6.The national authority shall provide adequate co-financing, at least equivalent to the contribution referred to in Article 20(5), point (b), for the operations of its national agency to ensure that the Programme is managed in accordance with the applicable Union rules.

7.The national authority shall ensure that appointments of persons responsible for the management of the national agency are justified by the nature of the action, follow fair and transparent rules and procedures and do not give rise to a conflict of interest. In case of serious concerns about compliance with these principles, the Commission may reject the proposed appointment and request the national authority to ensure that the selection procedure is repeated.

8.The national authority shall monitor and supervise the budget implementation tasks entrusted to its national agency. It shall inform and consult the Commission in due time prior to taking any decision that may have a significant impact on the management of the Programme and the Programme funds.

9.The national authority shall, each year, provide the Commission with a report on its monitoring and supervision activities and, where appropriate, a statement on its follow-up to any observations issued by the Commission in response to such report.

10.The national authority shall take and retain responsibility for the proper management of the Union funds transferred by the Commission to the national agency in the framework of the Programme.

11.In the event of any irregularity, negligence or fraud attributable to the national agency, or of serious shortcomings, liabilities or underperformance on the part of the national agency, where any of these instances gives rise to claims by the Commission against the national agency, the national authority shall reimburse and indemnify the Commission for such claims.

12.In the circumstances referred to in paragraph 11, the national authority may, on its own initiative or at the request of the Commission, revoke the mandate of the national agency. Where the national authority wishes to revoke that mandate for any other justified reason, it shall notify the Commission within a reasonable time before the envisaged date of termination of the mandate. In such cases, the national authority and the Commission shall formally agree on specific and time-limited transition measures.

13.In the event of revocation as referred to in paragraph 12, the national authority shall carry out the necessary controls regarding the Union funds entrusted to the national agency whose mandate has been revoked and shall ensure that those funds and all documents and management tools required for the management of the Programme are transferred to the new national agency in an unimpeded manner. The national authority shall provide the national agency whose mandate has been revoked with the necessary financial support to continue to meet its contractual obligations vis-à-vis the beneficiaries of the Programme and the Commission pending the transfer of those obligations to a new national agency. Should there be a transitional period between the revocation of this mandate and the designation of a new national agency as accepted by the Commission, the national authority shall, during such period, be responsible for all the obligations of the national agency as laid out in this Regulation and for all of its outstanding contractual obligations vis-à-vis the beneficiaries of the Programme and the Commission.

14.Where a national agency ceases to operate or to exist and no new national agency is designated as a result of the withdrawal of a third country from the Programme, the national authority shall be principally responsible for all the obligations of the national agency and for the fulfilment and closure of all the outstanding contractual obligations vis-à-vis the beneficiaries of the Programme and the Commission.

15.At the request of the Commission, the national authority shall designate the institutions or organisations, or the types of such institutions and organisations eligible to participate in an action of the Programme in its territory.

16.The national authority shall promote and facilitate effective synergies and complementarities with other Union, national or regional funds or programmes.

17.The national authority shall ensure that all necessary and appropriate measures are taken to remove any legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the Programme, including measures aimed at aligning the status of participants in the Programme with that of other nationals in the same situation or at addressing difficulties in obtaining visas or residence permits.

Article 19

National agency

1.The national agency shall:

(a)be a body within the meaning of Article 62(1), point (c), (v) or (vi) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and be governed by the law of the Member State or of the third country associated to the Programme concerned;

(b)have the adequate management capacity, staff and infrastructure to fulfil its tasks satisfactorily, ensuring efficient and effective management of the Programme and sound financial management of Union funds;

(c)have the operational and legal means to apply the administrative, contractual and financial management rules laid down at Union level;

(d)have the requisite expertise to implement effectively the actions in all the sectors of the Programme for which it receives a Union contribution;

(e)offer, if required by the Commission, adequate financial guarantees, issued preferably by a public authority, corresponding to the level of Union funds it is called upon to manage.

2.The national agency shall adequately plan its tasks for the implementation of the relevant actions as set out in the work programme referred to in Article 15 and the relevant agreements with the Commission, as well as for the information, communication and dissemination activities referred to in Article 16(2.

3.The national agency shall manage all the stages of the project lifecycle of the Programme actions under its responsibility in accordance with Article 62(1), point (c) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 and the relevant agreements with the Commission.

4.The national agency shall issue grant support to beneficiaries within the meaning of Article 2, point (5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 by way of grant agreements as specified by the Commission for the Programme action concerned.

5.The national agency shall not, without prior written authorisation from the national authority and from the Commission, delegate to a third party any task related to the Programme or budget implementation conferred on it. The national agency shall retain sole responsibility for any tasks delegated to a third party.

6.The national agency shall, each year, provide its national authority and the Commission with a management declaration, a report and any other documents as required in accordance with Article 158 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

7.The national agency shall implement in due time the observations issued by the Commission following its analysis of the yearly management declaration and report and of the independent audit opinion thereon.

Article 20

European Commission

1.On the basis of the compliance requirements for national agencies referred to in Article 18(4), the Commission shall review the national management and control systems, using in particular the ex ante assessment provided by the national authority, the national agency’s yearly management declaration and the opinion of the independent audit body thereon, and the national authority’s yearly report referred to in Article 18(9).

2.On the basis of the ex ante assessment referred to in Article 18(4), the Commission shall accept, conditionally accept or reject the designation of the national agency. The Commission shall not enter into a contractual relationship with the national agency until it has accepted the ex ante assessment as satisfactory or taken appropriate supervisory measures in accordance with Article 157(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. In the event of conditional acceptance, the Commission may apply proportionate precautionary measures to its contractual relationship with the national agency. Where the national agency no longer complies with the minimum requirements, the Commission may suspend its contractual relationship with the national agency until remedial action has been taken to ensure compliance, failing which it may request the national authority to revoke the mandate of the national agency and designate a new one, subject to a positive ex ante assessment.

3.The Commission shall provide the national authorities and the national agencies with appropriate information and guidance in order to ensure consistent and high-quality implementation and management of the Programme. In particular, it shall specify planning, project management and reporting arrangements and ensure that these arrangements follow simple procedures.

4.The Commission shall not make Programme funds available to the national agency until it has approved its planning documents in accordance with Article 19(2).

5.The Commission shall make the following Programme funds available to the national agency:

(a)a contribution for grant support for the Programme actions the management of which is entrusted to the national agency;

(b)a contribution in support of the national agency’s Programme management tasks;

(c)if relevant, an additional contribution for actions under Article 7, points (a) and (b).

6.The Commission shall communicate to the national authority and the national agency the outcome of its analysis and observations on the yearly report and management declaration as referred to in Articles 18(9) and 19(6) and on the audit opinion as referred to in Article 21(2).

7.Where the Commission does not accept the yearly management declaration or the independent audit opinion thereon, or in the event of unsatisfactory implementation by the national agency of the Commission’s observations, the Commission may implement any precautionary and corrective measures necessary to safeguard the Union’s financial interests in accordance with Article 132 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

8.The Commission shall encourage and maintain an active dialogue and cooperation with and between the national agencies and the national authorities, including the exchange and transfer of good practice, with a view to improving and ensuring the consistent implementation and management of the Programme. It shall also ensure that appropriate conditions are in place for an effective exchange of information between the Union institutions, national agencies or other bodies and entities implementing the Programme.

9.The Commission shall deliver the necessary information technology systems to support the implementation of the Programme objectives laid down in Article 3, including for indirect management.

Article 21

Independent audit body

1.The independent audit body shall:

(a)have the necessary professional competence to carry out public sector audits;

(b)ensure that its audits take account of internationally accepted audit standards;

(c)not be in a position of conflict of interest with regard to the legal entity of which the national agency forms part; in particular, the independent audit body shall be independent, in terms of its functions, of the legal entity of which the national agency forms part.

2.The independent audit body shall issue an audit opinion on the yearly management declaration as referred to in Article 158(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. It shall form the basis of the overall assurance pursuant to Article 127 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509.

3.The independent audit body shall give the Commission and its representatives and the Court of Auditors full access to all documents and reports in support of the audit opinion that it issues on the national agency’s yearly management declaration.

Article 22

Principles of the control system

1.The Commission shall be responsible for the supervisory controls with regard to the Programme actions and activities managed by the national agencies. The Commission shall set the minimum requirements for the controls by the national agency and the independent audit body.

2.The national agency shall be responsible for the primary controls of grant beneficiaries for the actions it manages as set out in the work programmes referred to in Article 15. Those controls shall give reasonable assurance that the grants awarded are used as intended and in compliance with the applicable Union rules.

3.With regard to the Programme funds transferred to the national agencies, the Commission shall ensure proper coordination of its controls with the national authorities and the national agencies, on the basis of the single audit principle and following a risk-based analysis.

CHAPTER IX

TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 23

Repeal

Regulation (EU) No 2021/817 and Regulation (EU) No 2021/888 are repealed with effect from 1 January 2028.

Article 24

Transitional provisions

1.This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification of the actions concerned, until their closure, under Regulations (EU) 2021/817 and (EU) 2021/888, which shall continue to apply to the actions concerned until their closure.

2.The financial envelope for the Programme may also cover technical and administrative assistance expenses necessary to ensure the transition between the Programme and the measures adopted under Regulations (EU) 2021/817 and (EU) 2021/888.

3.Member States shall ensure at national level the unimpeded transition between the actions carried out under Regulations (EU) 2021/817 and (EU) 2021/888 and those to be implemented under this Programme.

Article 25

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2028.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL AND DIGITAL STATEMENT

1.FRAMEWORK OF THE PROPOSAL/INITIATIVE3

1.1.Title of the proposal/initiative3

1.2.Policy area(s) concerned3

1.3.Objective(s)3

1.3.1.General objective(s)3

1.3.2.Specific objective(s)3

1.3.3.Expected result(s) and impact3

1.3.4.Indicators of performance3

1.4.The proposal/initiative relates to:4

1.5.Grounds for the proposal/initiative4

1.5.1.Requirement(s) to be met in the short or long term including a detailed timeline for roll-out of the implementation of the initiative4

1.5.2.Added value of EU involvement (it may result from different factors, e.g. coordination gains, legal certainty, greater effectiveness or complementarities). For the purposes of this section 'added value of EU involvement' is the value resulting from EU action, that is additional to the value that would have been otherwise created by Member States alone.4

1.5.3.Lessons learned from similar experiences in the past4

1.5.4.Compatibility with the multiannual financial framework and possible synergies with other appropriate instruments5

1.5.5.Assessment of the different available financing options, including scope for redeployment5

1.6.Duration of the proposal/initiative and of its financial impact6

1.7.Method(s) of budget implementation planned6

2.MANAGEMENT MEASURES8

2.1.Monitoring and reporting rules8

2.2.Management and control system(s)8

2.2.1.Justification of the budget implementation method(s), the funding implementation mechanism(s), the payment modalities and the control strategy proposed8

2.2.2.Information concerning the risks identified and the internal control system(s) set up to mitigate them8

2.2.3.Estimation and justification of the cost-effectiveness of the controls (ratio between the control costs and the value of the related funds managed), and assessment of the expected levels of risk of error (at payment & at closure)8

2.3.Measures to prevent fraud and irregularities9

3.ESTIMATED FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE PROPOSAL/INITIATIVE10

3.1.Heading(s) of the multiannual financial framework and expenditure budget line(s) affected10

3.2.Estimated financial impact of the proposal on appropriations12

3.2.1.Summary of estimated impact on operational appropriations12

3.2.1.1.Appropriations from voted budget12

3.2.1.2.Appropriations from external assigned revenues17

3.2.2.Estimated output funded from operational appropriations22

3.2.3.Summary of estimated impact on administrative appropriations24

3.2.3.1. Appropriations from voted budget24

3.2.3.2.Appropriations from external assigned revenues24

3.2.3.3.Total appropriations24

3.2.4.Estimated requirements of human resources25

3.2.4.1.Financed from voted budget25

3.2.4.2.Financed from external assigned revenues26

3.2.4.3.Total requirements of human resources26

3.2.5.Overview of estimated impact on digital technology-related investments28

3.2.6.Compatibility with the current multiannual financial framework28

3.2.7.Third-party contributions28

3.3.Estimated impact on revenue29

42Digital dimensions29

4.1.Requirements of digital relevance30

4.2.Data30

4.3.Digital solutions31

4.4.Interoperability assessment31

4.5.Measures to support digital implementation32

1.FRAMEWORK OF THE PROPOSAL/INITIATIVE 

1.1.Title of the proposal/initiative

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034

1.2.Policy area(s) concerned 

Education and training, Youth and Sport

1.3.Objective(s)

1.3.1.General objective(s)

The general objective of the Programme is to contribute to a resilient, competitive, and cohesive Europe by promoting high quality lifelong learning, enhancing skills and competences for life and for jobs for all, while fostering Union values, democratic and societal participation, solidarity, social inclusion and equal opportunities, in the EU and beyond. TheProgramme shall be a key instrument for building the Union of Skills, developing the European Education Area and supporting the implementation of European strategic cooperation in the fields of education and training, including its underlying sectoral agendas.

The Programme will advance youth policy cooperation and further develop the European dimension in sport. The objective is to foster a more inclusive, united, and robust Europe by empowering young people, strengthening community ties, and promoting solidarity through meaningful engagement and cooperation. Sport plays a vital role as a driver for social inclusion, health, education, and community development. By investing in youth, volunteering, and sport, the Programme aims to build stronger, more connected societies, encourage civic and democratic engagement, and contribute to social cohesion at all levels.

1.3.2.Specific objective(s)

The Programme has the following specific objectives:

(a)support the improvement of education, skills and competences with particular regard to their relevance for the labour market as well as to the professional development and personal growth of the individual and to their contribution to a competitive, sustainable and cohesive society;

(b)foster a sense of European identity and active citizenship, enhance solidarity and active participation in society and democracy, inducing a positive societal impact, greater resilience and better preparedness to anticipate, prevent and respond to risks of different nature;

(c)foster quality, inclusion, equity, sustainability, creativity, innovation, excellence and cross-border collaboration, strengthening Europe’s attractiveness and competitiveness globally, across all fields of education and training, youth and sport;

(d)engage and empower young people to acquire and develop professional and personal competences, to participate actively in society and democracy and connect them to the European project;

(e)support policy development, including for circulation of skills, accelerating reforms and modernisation at systems' level, across all fields of education and training, youth and sport, ensuring that they are more effective, resilient and inclusive;

(f)provide young people with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity and humanitarian activities that induce positive societal changes in the Union and beyond (the latter through setting up the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps), while improving and properly validating their competences, as well as facilitating their continuous engagement as active citizens;

(g)promote the European Sport Model by investing in grassroots sport, especially voluntary activities, ensuring accessibility, promoting participation, protecting integrity, supporting good governance, and reinforcing sport’s social, educational, and community role, through actions that focus on building a fair, inclusive, and sustainable sport system across Europe.

1.3.3.Expected result(s) and impact

Specify the effects which the proposal/initiative should have on the beneficiaries/groups targeted.

·Improved skills and competences for jobs and for life, of participants

·Increased quality, inclusion, sustainability, innovation, excellence and cross-border collaboration of education and training, youth and sport participating organisations

·Acceleration of reforms and modernisation at system’s level

·Increased active participation, enhanced solidarity and European sense of belonging among participants

1.3.4.Indicators of performance

Specify the indicators for monitoring progress and achievements.

5.The output and result indicators for the purpose of monitoring progress and achievements of this Programme will correspond to the common indicators provided under Regulation (EU) [XXX]* of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance].

1.4.The proposal/initiative relates to: 

a new action 

 a new action following a pilot project / preparatory action 56  

☒ the extension of an existing action 

a merger or redirection of one or more actions towards another/a new action

1.5.Grounds for the proposal/initiative 

1.5.1.Requirement(s) to be met in the short or long term including a detailed timeline for roll-out of the implementation of the initiative

The Programme aims to offer learning opportunities for all notably in the form of learning mobility, volunteering and scholarhips that will contribute to enhance skills and key competences for all, for life and for jobs, promoting societal engagement and civic education, solidarity and social inclusion. The Programme also sets up the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps. The Programme will support as well capacity building, through cooperation between stakeholders at organisational level and policy developments with a view to contribute to high quality life-long leanring, foster inclusion, excellence, and innovation in education, training, youth and sport.

Subject to the entry into force of its basic act, the Programme is planned to be implemented as of 1 st January 2028, for a duration of seven years.

1.5.2.Added value of EU involvement (it may result from different factors, e.g. coordination gains, legal certainty, greater effectiveness or complementarities). For the purposes of this section 'added value of EU involvement' is the value resulting from EU action, that is additional to the value that would have been otherwise created by Member States alone.

While Member States remain responsible for the content and organisation of their policies in the fields concerned, the challenges identified are common to all Member States and/or have a significant transnational dimension, requiring EU-level solutions, coordination, and support to be effectively addressed. EU actions can facilitate cooperation, capacity building, and mutual learning as well as cross-border activities, ultimately optimising the potential of the concerned sectors, including in EU external actions.

The Programme aims to enhance transnational mobility and capacity building cooperation, as well as to support policy developments with a European dimension. However, due to the transnational nature, high volume, and broad geographical scope of the activities supported, as well as their strong international dimension, these objectives cannot be adequately achieved by Member States acting alone. For instance, cross-border learning mobility or volunteering is more complex to organise on a bilateral basis, and difficult for individual Member States to make it accessible to all. The Erasmus+ mid-term evaluation has demonstrated that single initiatives by education and training, youth and sport organisations or Member States, although effective at the national level, lack the necessary scale and volume to achieve a European-wide impact. Furthermore, the cumulative coverage of individual country and cross-sectoral initiatives remains limited compared to the current Erasmus+ programme. Similarly, the European Solidarity Corps evaluation confirms that the European Solidarity Corps plays an essential role and, in some countries, is the only alternative for youth volunteering and solidarity.

Furthermore, by extending the scope of the Programme to cover volunteering activities, including volunteering in support of humanitarian aid operations, Erasmus+ will offer a single-entry point to EU opportunities for young people across the EU, including rural and remote areas, and abroad. Currently these are only accessible via distinct schemes. Erasmus+ will therefore ensure that all interested young people across the EU have equal opportunities to a broader variety of activities, and that they have easier access to them. The Programme also estbalishes the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, a Treaty obligation.

The added value of EU funding in the policy areas covered by the Programme was widely acknowledged by respondents to the open public consultation conducted by the Commission for the new MFF, with a vast majority highlighting its importance.

The Programme will contribute to raise the level of basic skills and increase the volume of skilled professionals including in key strategic sectors for EU’s competitiveness. It will help nurture, attract and retain talents, including from third countries. By pooling expertise and resources, capacity building and transnational cooperation supported by the Programme will foster innovation, increase quality teaching and help tackling Europe’s skills and talent shortages in key sectors and territories, including in the field of STEM and the twin transitions, making Europe a more attractive education destination for global talent.

The initiative will bring people from diverse backgrounds and countries together and support them in engaging in volunteering activities, enabling them to experience a period abroad, facilitating intercultural understanding, fostering a collective identity and appreciation for values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. For example, the mid-term evaluations of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps highlight their significant impact on fostering a sense of European identity and belonging, raising awareness of EU common values and in the case of Erasmus+, on developing knowledge for European integration. By enabling the creation and building of long-lasting networks of individuals and organisations, the Programme will allow the rooting of European identity and EU values.

The Programme will foster the development, transfer, and implementation of innovative and high quality practices in education, training, youth, and sport, and increase the capacity of organisations to work transnationally. The Programme will support reinforced collaboration with the private sector and innovation ecosystems, leveraging investments in skills critical for EU’s competitiveness, resilience, preparedness and social cohesion. It will as well drive policy progress and systemic impact notably by acting as a test bed for approaches that will then inspire national/regional schemes. By fostering cross-fertilisation between countries, the Programme will help Member States progress and modernise their systems and policies.

Furthermore, the Programme will include actions to widen access to smaller-sized actors, supporting flexible formats and providing a gateway for grassroots organisations and newcomers to access Union funds and gain experience in transnational cooperation. It will also have a strong inclusion and diversity dimension and will support the development of skills for jobs and life notably of those with fewer opportunities.

1.5.3.Lessons learned from similar experiences in the past

The proposal draws on the long-standing experience of the previous programmes in the field of education and training, youth, sport and volunteering.

Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps mid-term evaluations show that both programmes deliver strong European added value for individuals, organisations and policy, including in its international dimension, a result which cannot be matched at national level alone.

The final evaluation of the 2014-2020 programme and the interim evaluation of the 2021-2027 programme found that Erasmus+ performs strongly across key evaluation criteria and fulfils its objectives effectively. Both Programme generations have proven successful in delivering a strong European added value, playing a key role in the fields of education, training, youth and sport. Erasmus+ significantly surpasses what could be achieved by individual countries at national or international levels. Its benefits stem from the opportunities it provides to personal, educational and professional development of learners and staff, to cross-border cooperation of organisations and to policy development in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, providing significant benefits to those to take part in the programme compared to those who do not.

The final evaluation of the 2018-2020 programme and interim evaluation of the 2021-2027 European Solidarity Corps programme 57  have found that the European Solidarity Corps performs well across the five evaluation criteria (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, EU added value). The European Solidarity Corps addresses European society’s crucial needs, especially in fostering civic participation and promoting inclusion and diversity. The programme fosters a sense of community, revitalising local initiatives and promoting a broader global perspective. Participation contributes to improved personal, professional and study skills and social and civic awareness.

At the same time, both evaluations point to some areas of improvement in terms of design. These include expanding the reach of the programmes, easing access, simplifying management, enhancing monitoring, strengthening synergies and avoiding overlaps with other programmes, and increasing flexibility to address new challenges. For instance, the evaluation of Erasmus+ found some overlap between Erasmus+ Youth Participation activities and Solidarity projects funded under the Corps, both supporting youth-led initiatives run by informal groups of young people.

1.5.4.Compatibility with the multiannual financial framework and possible synergies with other appropriate instruments

The Programme is one of the funding instruments under the 2028-2034 Multiannual financial framework and has a high degree of coherence and complementarity with other key EU priorities and funding schemes.

The Programme will complement and reinforce actions financed through the Union's external actions, to attract and retain global talent, enhance the EU's influence and attractiveness on the world stage, and contribute to the preparedness of candidate countries and potential candidates, including by promoting people-to-people contacts and cooperation with third countries.

There is significant complementarity between the Programme and its transnational cooperation facilitated by direct and indirect management and the nationally and regionally tailored interventions supported by national envelopes. Indeed, the transnational part under direct and indirect management provides shared learning, networking and pooling resources in the fields of education and training, youth and sport, supporting the development of quality teaching practices, networking and modernisation, that are not achievable through national interventions alone, while the pre-allocated national budgets support notably broad structural interventions to address socioeconomic and territorial disparities, including rural and remote areas, such as providing education and training infrastructure, equipment, and services, supporting the upskilling of disadvantaged groups, or promoting employment and entrepreneurship through training and initiating reforms.

There are strong links between Erasmus+ and the European Competitiveness Fund and synergies are needed to help break the silos between education, research and innovation and the labour market (and to a certain extent non-formal and informal learning) to the ultimate benefit of competitiveness. For instance, education contributes to development of research and innovation and enables transfer of knowledge and technology from academia to industry and business and can therefore also support smart specialisation strategies. The upscaling and transfer of successful practices from the educational to the research or industry domain could be facilitated through legal provisions and implementation mechanisms ensuring flow of knowledge among sectors with clear interlinkages.

In line with the European Preparedness Union Strategy, Erasmus+ also promotes and preparedness, resilience, participation in democratic life and civic engagement through a bottom-up approach, encouraging organisations and institutions to apply for funding and foster digital and media literacy, critical thinking, engagement, democratic citizenship learning. Volunteering is also essential in fostering a culture of inclusive preparedness and societal resilience. The Programme is also closely aligned and complementary to the EU instrument that contributes to address protect fundamental rights and democracy, media and culture.

Although these programmes are supported by distinct instruments, with independent modi operandi, different intervention logics, management modes and architecture, their interaction can generate converging effects. Therefore, synergies will be looked for where they are possible and bring further added value.

1.5.5.Assessment of the different available financing options, including scope for redeployment

1.6.Duration of the proposal/initiative and of its financial impact

·Limited duration

·In effect from 01/01/2028 to 31/12/2034

·Financial impact from 2028 to 2034 for commitment appropriations and from 2028 to 2034 for payment appropriations.

1.7.Method(s) of budget implementation planned 58  

·Direct management by the Commission

üby its departments, including by its staff in the Union delegations;

üby the executive agencies

 Shared management with the Member States

·Indirect management by entrusting budget implementation tasks to:

üthird countries or the bodies they have designated

– international organisations and their agencies (to be specified)

– the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund

– bodies referred to in Articles 70 and 71 of the Financial Regulation

üpublic law bodies

übodies governed by private law with a public service mission to the extent that they are provided with adequate financial guarantees

– bodies governed by the private law of a Member State that are entrusted with the implementation of a public-private partnership and that are provided with adequate financial guarantees

– bodies or persons entrusted with the implementation of specific actions in the common foreign and security policy pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union, and identified in the relevant basic act

–bodies established in a Member State, governed by the private law of a Member State or Union law and eligible to be entrusted, in accordance with sector-specific rules, with the implementation of Union funds or budgetary guarantees, to the extent that such bodies are controlled by public law bodies or by bodies governed by private law with a public service mission, and are provided with adequate financial guarantees in the form of joint and several liability by the controlling bodies or equivalent financial guarantees and which may be, for each action, limited to the maximum amount of the Union support.

Comments

The Programme will be implemented through a combination of direct and indirect management modes, an approach that has proven successful in previous Multiannual Financial Frameworks (MFFs) and was confirmed by the Erasmus+ mid-term evaluation as a key factor in the Programme's efficiency.

2.MANAGEMENT MEASURES 

2.1.Monitoring and reporting rules 

1.The monitoring, reporting and evaluation rules for this Programme will follow the requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) [XXX]* of the European Parliament and of the Council [Performance].

The Commission shall publish an implementation report for the future Erasmus+ programme no later than four years after the start of its implementation, in order to assess the progress made towards the achievement of their objectives.

The Commission shall carry out a retrospective evaluation in accordance with Article 34(3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 at the latest three years after the programming period of the future Erasmus+ programme.

The objective is to use existing arrangements to the extent possible and to simplify, rationalise, and reduce the administrative burden for participants (individuals and organisations), while ensuring that sufficient information is collected to assess the results of the Programme and to safeguard accountability. Consequently, the rules for monitoring and reporting will be systematically established in view of their efficiency and cost-effectiveness, based on the experience gained in the current programme, without compromising the data needs for the purposes of evaluation.

2.2.Management and control system(s) 

2.2.1.Justification of the budget implementation method(s), the funding implementation mechanism(s), the payment modalities and the control strategy proposed

The proposed continued combination of programme management modes (direct and indirect) is based on the positive experience of the implementation of the current Erasmus+ programme, which has demonstrated consistently positive results throughout successive programming periods. It builds on the existing structures, in compliance with the principles of subsidiarity, proportionality and efficiency. The preservation of tried and tested modalities will allow focusing on delivery and performance, safeguard proven efficiency gains, while minimising administrative burden. The general principle would be maintained: as a general rule, no direct support will be given to individual beneficiaries; support will continue to be channelled through participating organisations, which will distribute it to individual learners or practitioners. Indirect management via National Agencies has been confirmed by successive evaluations as the most effective management mode for mobility and cooperation projects seecking to build capacity across all participating countries. Direct management in contrast is effective in transversal actions at European level thanks to economies of scale and the ability of the executive agency EACEA to manage actions via corporate tools and procedures.

2.2.2.Information concerning the risks identified and the internal control system(s) set up to mitigate them

The risks identified in the implementation of the current programmes fall mainly into the following categories:

·errors derived from the inexperience of beneficiaries with the rules. This risk is largely mitigated by using simplified costs (lump sums, flat rates and scales of unit costs) as permitted by the Financial Regulation;

·reliability of the control chain and maintenance of the audit trail. The proposed programme would continue to be managed by the National Agencies, with supervisory controls provided by an Independent Audit Body as foreseen in the Financial Regulation, as well as operational and governance supervision by the National Authorities. The control framework that mitigates these risks is very well established;

·specific target participants (e.g. youth or adult sectors) may not have the necessary financial management capacity for managing Union funds, and would be subject to additional monitoring and checks based on risk assessment. The main simplification to mitigate the risks and to reduce error rates resulting from the complexity of financial rules will continue to be the wide use of grants in the form of lump sums, flat rates and scales of unit costs, and simplified formats of actions, making the rules easy to follow, while preserving accountability.

All entrusted entities are always responsible for the primary level of controls in order to ensure the protection of the Union’s financial interest, while the Commission is responsible for supervising the overall framework. This solid control system currently in place will be maintained to control the use of Union funds for the actions managed under indirect management by National Agencies and as well as under direct management, in accordance with the Financial Regulation. With regard to the Programme funds transferred to the National Agencies, the Commission shall ensure proper coordination of its controls with the national authorities and the national agencies, on the basis of the single audit principle and following a risk-based analysis. While National Agencies will be in charge of primary controls of beneficiaries, their system of internal control and compliance will continue to be monitored and supervised by the Member States/National Authorities and audited by an Independent Audit Body. To ensure coherence and reliability of controls at country level, the Commission will continue to issue frequently updated control guidance. The control system will be set up in a manner so as to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the controls. The Commission's supervision and performance frameworks will ensure a high level of monitoring and feedback to inform the policy approach. The proposed programme control framework will be complemented by the Commission's programme of Supervisory visits, financial audits, and monitoring and implementation visits, as well as guidance activities such as conferences, kick-off meetings, meetings of National Agencies, training courses and webinars.

2.2.3.Estimation and justification of the cost-effectiveness of the controls (ratio between the control costs and the value of the related funds managed), and assessment of the expected levels of risk of error (at payment & at closure) 

Regarding cost effectiveness, the Commission makes an annual estimation of the costs of the resources and inputs required for carrying out the controls and has estimated, in so far as possible, their benefits in terms of the amount of errors and irregularities prevented, detected and corrected by these controls but also in terms of non-quantifiable errors. This approach emphasises the core financial and operational checks of the control chain.

The control strategy is based on a single integrated control framework in order to provide reasonable assurance throughout the project cycle. The approach taken to assess cost-effectiveness of controls is based on the logic of building blocks of assurance as part of a global supervision strategy. The Commission differentiates the frequency and the intensity of the controls – in view of the different risk profiles among its current and future transactions and of the cost-effectiveness of its existing and alternative controls, in particular as outlined to National Agencies in the programme implementation guidance. Executive Agencies and all entrusted entities are always responsible for the primary level of controls in order to ensure the protection of the Union’s financial interest, while the Commission is responsible for supervisory controls.

The Commission's estimate using the methodology of the 2024 Annual Activity Report is that the global cost of control is 8.21%, depending on the measure used, of the budget managed (Executive Agency's budget excluded). These costs are proportional and cost effective given the likely risk of error if such controls were not in place, and the requirement to ensure an error rate below 2%. Based on the experience with the current Erasmus+ and its predecessor programmes, which have an error rate of around 1% on a multiannual basis, the expected risk of error is less than 2%.

2.3.Measures to prevent fraud and irregularities 

The controls aimed at preventing and detecting fraud are closely aligned with those intended to ensure the legality and regularity of the transactions (the unintentional errors). Each year the Commission reviews all reporting from National Agencies on possible fraud or irregularities. These cases are mainly followed up at national level where the National Agencies have direct access to means of legal redress and referral of fraud cases. The Commission increasingly facilitates contacts on cross-border cases with the European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) and European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

The Commission services contribute to ongoing European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) and European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigations and organise the follow-up to completed European Anti-fraud Office investigations. Financial prejudice to the Union's budget resulting from fraud established in final European Anti-fraud Office case reports concerning programmes with similar funding rules and stakeholders is relatively low. Cases are referred to European Anti-fraud Office and to the Investigation and disciplinary Office (IDOC) as appropriate, but a significant number of cases are followed up during the year directly with National Agencies and National Authorities, who have direct access to the relevant judicial and anti-fraud entities.

Commission services implementing the action have developed and implemented their own anti-fraud strategy (AFS) since 2014, elaborated on the basis of the methodology provided by the European Anti-fraud Office. Regularly updated, it is supplemented with (most recently 2024), where appropriate, lower-level procedural documents, covering how cases are referred and followed up, e.g. for exclusions and detections in the Commission Early-detection and Exclusion System (EDES).

Given the fact that the scale of fraud within the Programme remains limited and is largely restricted to cases of multiple project application submissions or project leaders failing to honour their obligations, the measures in place are considered both appropriate and proportionate.

Considering the level of fraud impact potentially faced by the proposed programme, in particular the financial prejudice recorded by the European Anti-fraud Office, the residual risk of fraud does not justify additional measures beyond those in the anti-fraud strategy, and corporate initiatives such as ARACHNE+ under the 2024 recast of the Financial Regulation. Commission services maintain close cooperation with the European Anti-fraud Office and the European Public Prosecutor and follow the ongoing cases closely. It is therefore possible to conclude positively on assurance in respect of fraud risk related to the proposed programme.

3.ESTIMATED FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE PROPOSAL/INITIATIVE 

3.1.Heading(s) of the multiannual financial framework and expenditure budget line(s) affected 

New budget lines requested

In order of multiannual financial framework headings and budget lines.

3.2.Estimated financial impact of the proposal on appropriations 

3.2.1.Summary of estimated impact on operational appropriations 

 The proposal/initiative does not require the use of operational appropriations

·The proposal/initiative requires the use of operational appropriations, as explained below

3.2.1.1.Appropriations from voted budget

EUR million (to three decimal places)

EUR million (to three decimal places)

EUR million (to three decimal places)

EUR million (to three decimal places)

3.2.2.Estimated output funded from operational appropriations (not to be completed for decentralised agencies)

Commitment appropriations in EUR million (to three decimal places)

The output and result indicators for the purpose of monitoring progress and achievements of this programme will correspond to the common indicators provided under Regulation xxx [Performance Regulation].

3.2.3.Summary of estimated impact on administrative appropriations 

    The proposal/initiative does not require the use of appropriations of an administrative nature

·The proposal/initiative requires the use of appropriations of an administrative nature, as explained below

3.2.3.1. Appropriations from voted budget

*Appropriations related to other expenditure of an administrative nature (ex-BA line) will be determined when the financial envelope will be disclosed

3.2.4.Estimated requirements of human resources 

    The proposal/initiative does not require the use of human resources

·The proposal/initiative requires the use of human resources, as explained below

3.2.4.1.Financed from voted budget

Estimate to be expressed in full-time equivalent units (FTEs) 63

The staff required to implement the proposal (in FTEs):

Description of tasks to be carried out by: 

3.2.5.Overview of estimated impact on digital technology-related investments

3.2.6.Compatibility with the current multiannual financial framework 

The initiative is consistent with the proposal for the MFF 2028-2034.

The proposal/initiative:

    can be fully financed through redeployment within the relevant heading of the multiannual financial framework (MFF)

    requires use of the unallocated margin under the relevant heading of the MFF and/or use of the special instruments as defined in the MFF
   Regulation

    requires a revision of the MFF

3.2.7.Third-party contributions 

The proposal/initiative:

·does not provide for co-financing by third parties

    provides for the co-financing by third parties estimated below:

Appropriations in EUR million (to three decimal places)

3.3.    Estimated impact on revenue 

·The proposal/initiative has no financial impact on revenue.

    The proposal/initiative has the following financial impact:

–    on own resources

–    on other revenue

–    please indicate, if the revenue is assigned to expenditure lines

EUR million (to three decimal places)

For assigned revenue, specify the budget expenditure line(s) affected.

Other remarks (e.g. method/formula used for calculating the impact on revenue or any other information).

4.Digital dimensions

4.1.Requirements of digital relevance

4.2.Data

High-level description of the data in scope and any related standards/specifications

Alignment with the European Data Strategy

Explain how the requirement(s) are aligned with the European Data Strategy

Alignment with the once-only principle

Explain how the once-only principle has been considered how the possibility to reuse existing data explored

Explain how newly created data is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, and meets high-quality standards

Data flows

4.3.Digital solutions

Digital solution #1 - Indirect Grant Management Platform