The EU Erasmus+ programme should give all young people a
fair chance to learn abroad, not just university students, say
MEPs in a draft resolution voted on Thursday. Erasmus+ budgeting
needs to be made more flexible to offer equal opportunities to
all and accommodate an increase in project submissions for youth
organisations, they add. MEPs are also concerned that few
apprentices take part.
Good functioning of the new programme
The overall evaluation shows the success and the good impact of
the projects financed by the new programme, but further
improvements are necessary, European Parliament stresses in its
resolution.
“We have significantly increased budget and addressed issues such
as simplification of application procedures and cross-sectoral
cooperation. The positive responses from Erasmus+ participants
and the increasing interest for taking part in Erasmus+ are also
very important. It will therefore be necessary in the future to
eliminate the gap between capped financial possibilities and the
real potential of the programme. Erasmus+ is becoming more and
more important and it represents priceless added value for the
EU's future in personal, social and economic terms”, rapporteur
(EPP, SV) said.
Important issues still to be addressed
Parliament asks the EU Commission to give national agencies more
flexibility to move funds within programme’s key actions and thus
enable quality projects in under-budgeted sectors to go ahead.
MEPs also stress the need to reduce bureaucracy, to draft more
user-oriented guides and simplify the financial part of the
e-forms. An increase of the up-front funding rates and the
adaptation of the costs to the type of the projects are also
necessary to make it easier for small organisations to run
projects.
Student loan mechanism isn’t working
MEPs also urge the Commission to prepare a critical assessment of
the functioning of the Students Loan Guarantee Facility, which is
designed to help master’s degree students take up low-rate bank
loans backed by the Commission as a part-guarantor against
possible student defaults. Only 130 students and four banks have
used this tool since its inception in 2015. A possible
reallocation of the unused funds should be taken into
consideration, MEPs also ask.
The first (Erasmus) mobility exchanges in education field began
in 1987. The higher education programme has been the most
successful one of the last 30 years.
The resolution was adopted by 497 votes in favour, 39 against and
60 abstentions.
