As the European Union navigates a period of rapid technological and economic change, education remains the cornerstone of its success. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN), together with sixteen other signatory organisations representing Europe’s higher education institutions, student organisations and stakeholders, has presented a joint set of proposed amendments to the European Commission’s draft regulation for the next Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028–2034. Through these amendments, we reaffirm the key role of Erasmus+ in advancing the European Education Area alongside the Union of Skills and in contributing to the personal, educational and professional development of learners across Europe and beyond.
We emphasise that Erasmus+ must continue to prioritise learning mobility and transnational cooperation as its core mission, ensuring that opportunities remain accessible across all study fields while maintaining a strong focus on quality, inclusiveness and long-term impact. Central to our proposal is a call for ambitious investment in the programme, with an overall budget of at least €60 billion for 2028–2034. Without a significant increase, the programme risks losing momentum, particularly when inflation, the integration of the European Solidarity Corps and the introduction of new initiatives are taken into account. Maintaining the current minimum budget share of 34.6% for the higher education sector is essential to guarantee predictability for institutions and continued access for students.
We also highlight the importance of transparent governance and propose the reintroduction of the committee procedure as an appropriate framework for Member States and observers to contribute to programme implementation, ensuring consistent interpretation of priorities across different national contexts. Furthermore, we stress that new scholarship initiatives in strategic educational fields should bring genuine added value to beneficiaries and should not divert resources away from the programme’s core mobility actions.
We call for stronger and more explicit synergies between Erasmus+ and other EU funding instruments, including Horizon Europe, the European Competitiveness Fund and national and regional plans, in order to maximise impact across the different missions of universities. In addition, we propose providing a clear and predictable pathway for the association of the United Kingdom and Switzerland to the next programme, safeguarding long-standing academic cooperation.
Additionally, we underline that the international dimension of Erasmus+ should be reinforced through increased opportunities for mobility, cooperation and policy dialogue that serve the mutual interests of Europe and its global partners.
Finally, we stress the need to systematically enhance the resilience of Erasmus+ and its capacity to support higher education institutions, students and staff in crisis situations through flexible programme rules and dedicated support measures.
As signatory organisations representing the communities that make Erasmus+ a reality on the ground, we stand ready to support EU policymakers throughout the negotiations by sharing evidence from practice and contributing constructively to the final design of an Erasmus+ programme that remains ambitious, inclusive and accessible for all learners.
Read the cover note and the full set of proposed amendments
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