The European Parliament has called for a larger budget for Erasmus+, the EU’s programme for learning mobility, in a bid to make it more accessible to young people from different economic, social and geographical backgrounds.
MEPs adopted their mandate for negotiations with EU member states on the 2028-2034 programme by 454 votes in favour to 34, with 93 abstentions. They want a budget of €47.39 billion (in current prices), rather than the €40.8 billion proposed by the European Commission.
The mandate also sets out how the money should be divided between policy fields. MEPs want clear earmarks for education and learning, which would receive 74.6 percent of the total programme budget, youth and volunteering (15 percent) and sports (4.1 percent).
They also want Erasmus+ to be better aligned with other EU funds, including the European Competitiveness Fund, Horizon Europe, Global Europe and the National and Regional Partnership funds. Scholarships in strategic areas would be supported through synergies and funded by other EU programmes, while funding levels would be updated periodically to better reflect real costs.
“Parliament’s position is to strengthen Erasmus+ across a range of areas and enable the programme to address the EU’s strategic challenges,” said rapporteur Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP, Poland). “With our proposals we almost double its funding, and we welcome the return of the United Kingdom.”
“Erasmus+ is one of the EU’s greatest success stories, which has delivered exceptional results,” he added. “The programme deserves the ambition and investment it needs to continue building on these achievements.”
Grants tied to living costs, wider participation
MEPs support mobility grants adapted to differences in living costs, housing and inflation between host countries, regions and cities, as well as higher expenses for those travelling to or from distant locations.
They back integrating the European Solidarity Corps volunteering and solidarity activities, and the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, which provides aid in non-EU countries, into Erasmus+ to strengthen community and civic participation.
The mandate would also expand the programme to include new profiles and new categories within existing groups. These include athletes active in grassroots sport, as well as learners, teachers and trainers in vocational education and training (VET), and the upcoming EU teachers and trainers agenda. Participation of higher education students and teachers is also to be encouraged.
On the programme’s external dimension, MEPs support faster access for candidate countries without having to complete the association procedure, and stronger ties with the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
MEPs are now ready to start negotiations with EU governments once they have adopted their full mandate, including the overall funding levels for the EU’s long-term budget.
The Commission proposed the new Erasmus+ regulation on July 16, 2025, as part of the EU’s 2028-2034 long-term budget (MFF) package. Parliament wants the budget to remain a strong investment tool that supports citizens, regions and businesses while delivering clear added value beyond national budgets. MEPs propose increasing the size of the draft budget to meet new challenges, and insist on the importance of new revenue sources to fund an ambitious and sustainable budget.
