REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Erasmus+ is the Union programme supporting actions in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. With a budget of EUR 16.45 billion for the period 2014-2020 . the programme aims to provide to over 4 million persons the opportunity to gain competences and have a personal, socio-educational and professional development through studies, training, work experiences or volunteering abroad worldwide. It aims to foster quality improvements, innovation, excellence and internationalisation of organisations active in education and training, youth and sport. Erasmus+ also helps European countries to modernise and improve their education and training systems as well as their youth and sport policies, reinforcing their role as drivers for growth, employment, competitiveness, innovation and social cohesion.

This mid-term evaluation report on the Erasmus+ programme, including the evaluation of the long-term impact of its predecessor programmes, is submitted pursuant to Article 21 of Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and is accompanied by a staff working document (SWD) presenting all evidence. It builds on national reports submitted by the programme countries, an evaluation report by an external independent contractor, other reviewed studies, experience in managing the programme, and over a million responses from all interested parties. It assesses progress in implementing Erasmus+ in the period 2014-2016 in all participating countries, prior to the full budget increase. It also examines the long-term impact of seven predecessor programmes from the period 2007-2013 (ex post evaluation), including in partner countries.

Erasmus+ is well on track to achieve its performance indicators, as set in the legal basis, with notably over less than three years, 1.8 million individuals taking part in mobility activities, and more than 240 000 organisations involved in cooperation projects. Considering the baseline of the evaluation, between 2007 and 2016, the programmes under review funded learning mobility for more than 4.3 million young people and more than 880 000 practitioners. In addition, many more people benefited from cooperation projects involving 940 000 participating organisations.

Overall, the evaluation shows that Erasmus+ is highly valued by stakeholders and the public. The findings of this evaluation, as detailed in the SWD, show that all the programmes evaluated proved to be highly effective. Their European added value is undisputed. In addition, Erasmus+ is seen as being more coherent, relevant and only partly more efficient than its predecessors. Building on suggestions in the national reports and taking into account recommendations made by the external evaluator, it makes proposals to adjust the implementation of the current programme to help reach its full potential by 2020, and considers suggestions for improvements with a view to a successor programme.

Effectiveness

The evaluation found that Erasmus+ is highly valued by its stakeholders as well as the general public, which identifies the programme as the third most positive results of the EU. Programme beneficiaries report satisfaction rates above 90 %.

For learners (students, apprentices, volunteers, young people, etc.), the evaluated programmes had, and continue to have, a positive effect on the acquisition of skills and competences, thereby increasing employability and entrepreneurship and shortening the transition from education to employment (13% higher, compared to individuals who did not take part in Erasmus+ or its predecessor programmes). The evaluation indicates that the Erasmus+ programme fosters willingness to work or study abroad (+31%) and the development of foreign language skills (7% higher in tested proficiency); that it influences individuals’ positive perception of the value of learning for their professional and personal development (+8%); and that it improves even students’ completion rates (+2%)

There is also evidence of a contribution to a more cohesive Union. The Erasmus+ programme fosters positive social/civic behaviour and a sense of feeling ‘European’ (+19% compared to non-participants). It reaches out to disadvantaged young people (11.5% of the total number of participants in Erasmus+) more than its predecessors or comparable national schemes. Yet the evaluation points to the need to do more to reach out to the more vulnerable in society and to facilitate the participation of smaller-size organisations.

·Within the current programme architecture to 2020, the Commission will step up its efforts to make Erasmus+ more accessible to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds or with special needs. It will take steps to facilitate the participation of schools and other small-scale actors in the programme. ·After 2020, the Commission will consider how to further boost the inclusion dimension of any future programme, through increased integration of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in education and training, youth and sport activities.

For practitioners (teachers, trainers, youth workers, staff, etc.), participation translates into professional development — notably in terms of wider networking options (+22 percentage points) and greater use of digital resources (+5 points) — coupled with stronger attachment to Europe (+6 points).

For participating organisations (schools, universities, vocational education and training and adult education providers, youth and sport organisations, etc.) the expected changes are gradual and differ in intensity across the sectors of the programme. Continued participation is needed for deeper transformation. But the evaluation shows the programme has a clear ‘Europeanisation’ effect.

Though less visible, the evaluation also confirmed that the programmes reviewed had an impact on the formulation and implementation of education, training, youth and sport policies, especially in the case of higher education where the relevant budget was large enough, or had an indirect effect by funding policy cooperation between authorities. In the long run, the programmes have instilled in Europe the perception that learning mobility brings benefits to individuals and that its learning outcomes are to be commonly validated and recognised. The programmes evaluated have also been important for the EU’s global outreach, notably in facilitating the recognition of qualifications between Europe and partner countries.

The systemic effects are matched by progress in disseminating the results of the projects funded thanks to a single dedicated platform. However, the evidence that the project results are used by policy makers is not always clear, especially if the latter are not engaged in the project from the beginning.

·To boost the impact on policy, the Commission will consider additional ways of fostering system-level effects and to mainstream successful project results at national level more effectively. ·In preparing future programmes, it will explore options for developing and financing at larger scale (notably with the support of the European Structural and Investment Funds) those successful Erasmus+ projects that have the potential to trigger structural reforms at national level.

Overall, the evaluation showed that, at mid-term, Erasmus+ has achieved or exceeded most of the indicators set in the legal basis for it. Demand greatly exceeds the funding available. For the future, without prejudice to the next Multi Financial Framework, the evaluation confirmed the programme’s capacity to absorb an overall budget increase. If that was the case, it suggested that the current share-out between the sectors of the programme could be modified to reinforce those sectors for which a budget increase would determine the most efficient gains in terms of impact. School education, vocational education and training (VET) and youth activities, where the impact of the programmes was proven albeit not yet as widespread as in higher education due to smaller budget allocations, were identified as having high potential for expanded participation in Erasmus+ activities in the coming years.