COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013
Date: 2021-04-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, cooperation in the field of education, education, education policy, sport, vocational training, youth policy

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.4.2021  COM(2021) 187 final 2018/0191 (COD)  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT  pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union  concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 (Text with EEA relevance)  
 
 
2018/0191 (COD) 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 

concerning the 

position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and 
of the Council establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, 
youth and sport and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

BACKGROUND 

Date of transmission of the proposal to the European Parliament and 
to the Council (document COM(2018) 367 final - 2018/0191 COD) 

30 May 2018 

Date the Committee of the Regions adopted its Opinion on the 
proposal 

6 February 2019 

Date  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  adopted  its 
Opinion on the proposal 

19 October 2018 

Date of the position of the European Parliament, first reading: 

28 March 2019 

Date of Council agreement on a general approach 

26 November 2018 

Dates of the trilogues  

Date  Committee  of  Permanent  Representatives  confirmed  the 
compromise agreement 

7 October 2019 

19 November 2019 

9 December 2019 

7 December 2020 

11 December 2020 

18 December 2020 

Date    the  CULT  Committee  of  the  European  Parliament  voted  to 
endorse the compromise agreement  

11 January 2021 

Date Committee of Permanent Representatives adopted the Position 
of the Council (I/A Item)  

31 March2021 

Date of adoption of the Council first reading position 

13 April 2021 

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2. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION 

The  Erasmus+  programme  is  one  of  the  funding  instruments  under  the  2021-2027 
Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) aiming at investing in people, social cohesion and 
values. The Commission proposed an overall budget of EUR 30 billion. 

The general objective of the Erasmus+ programme is to support, through lifelong learning, the 
educational,  professional  and  personal  development  of  people  in  education,  training,  youth 
and sport, in Europe and beyond, thereby contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and 
social  cohesion,  driving  innovation,  as  well  as  strengthening  European  identity  and  active 
citizenship. The programme is structured around three Key Actions: (1) learning mobility, (2) 
cooperation among organisations and institutions, and (3) support to policy development and 
cooperation.  The  integrated  nature  of  the  programme,  covering  formal,  non-formal  and 
informal learning, offers learning opportunities at all stages of life.  

In  line  with  the  findings  of  the  mid-term  evaluation  of  the  predecessor  programme  and 
stakeholders’  opinions,  the  new  Erasmus+  programme  maintains  stability,  while  offering 
improvements as well as new measures and actions, reflecting a broader ambition of the new 
EU  policy  agenda.  The  substantially  strengthened,  inclusive  and  extended  programme  steps 
up mobility and exchanges. 

3. 

COMMENTS ON THE POSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

The  European  Parliament’s  first  reading  position,  adopted  on  28  March  2019,  suggested 
amendments to the Commission proposal, notably: 

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Name:  keeping  the  name  Erasmus+  (instead  of  Erasmus  as  proposed  by  the 
Commission); 

Budget:  tripling  of  the  budget;  revision  of  the  sectoral  breakdown  (vocational 
education and training up from 21 to 23%; school education up from 15.2 to 15.6%; 
adult  education  up  from  4.8  to  6%;  sport  increases  up  from  1.8%  to  2%);  annual 
appropriations to be authorised by the European Parliament; linear spending profile 
over the 7-year duration of the programme; 

Objectives:  new  specific  objectives  on  international  cooperation,  lifelong  learning, 
and European added value; 

Governance:  delegated  acts  for  the  adoption  of  annual  work  programmes;  in  the 
course  of  the  negotiations,  the  European  Parliament  specifid  its  request  for  a 
governance solution that would ensure its involvement in political choices regarding 
the implementation of the programme; 

Reinforced inclusion dimension of the programme: stand-alone inclusion chapter and 
articles requiring the Commission to set up a framework of inclusion measures and 
the National  Agencies to set  up national  inclusion strategies;  specific objective and 
indicators;  

European added value: non-exhaustive list of criteria to demonstrate EU added value 
of programme actions; 

DiscoverEU: scope extended from 18 year-olds to those aged 18-20; 

European Universities and Centres of Vocational Excellence should involve at least 
one entity established in a Member State; 

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Adult  learners:  addition  of  individual  mobility  under  Key  Action  1  (learning 
mobililty);  

Sport  Key  Action  1  (learning  mobility):  individual  learning  mobility  extended  to 
cover  young  people  practicing  sport  in  an  organised  setting  and  international 
mobility for sports staff; 

Synergies: use of the ‘Seal of Excellence’ to allow for alternative funding under the 
Cohesion Policy Funds; 

International  cooperation:  deletion  of  the  references  to  the  type  of  third  countries 
taking  part  in  the  programme;  addition  under  Key  Action  2  (cooperation)  of 
references  to  capacity-building  in  the  field  of  higher  education  in  third  countries; 
specific focus on developing counties; 

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Indicators: annex replaced with a more detailed list of indicators. 

The  European  Parliament  also  adopted  a  political  statement  accompanying  its  first  reading 
position,  reserving  the  European  Parliament’s  right  to  re-examine  its  position  to  ensure  that 
the programme’s core activities and the inclusion dimension are effectively delivered in case 
the budget is not tripled. The statement also stressed that the European Parliament’s support 
for the European Universities, the Centres of Vocational Excellence and DiscoverEU will be 
contingent on the evaluation of their pilot phases and the further definition of each initiative. 

As part of the agreement reached in the trilogues, the Commission accepted: 

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The programme name Erasmus+ instead of Erasmus;  

The financial envelope of the programme set at €24.574 billion in current prices and 
an  additional  top-up  of  €1.7  billion  in  2018  prices,  resulting  from  the  Programme-
specific adjustment provided for in Article 5 and Annex II of the Council Regulation 
(EU,  Euratom)  2020/2093  (i.e.  MFF  regulation);  slightly  adapted  sectorial  budget 
allocations; 

A new Annex broadly describing the progarmme actions amendable by a delegated 
act; 

A reinforced inclusion dimension;  

Addition of a new article on the European added value; 

Mobility of adult learners under Key Action 1 (learning mobility); 

Extending the scope of sport mobility to cover international actions; 

The explicit mention of the Seal of excellence;  

Clarification  of  the  article  refering  to  the  participation  of  the  organisations  in  third 
countries not associated to the programme; 

Extended and restructured list of indicators. 

The Commission also agreed to issue the following statement regarding an indicative budget 
for the platforms of Centres of vocational excellence: 

“Without prejudice to the powers of the legislative and budgetary authority, the Commission 
commits to allocating an indicative amount of EUR 400 million in current prices to support 
platforms  of  Centres  for  vocational  excellence  over  the  whole  duration  of  the  programme, 
provided that the interim evaluation of the programme confirms a positive assessment of the 
results of the action.” 

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Following  the  Council's  adoption  of  its  first  reading  position,  the  European  Parliament  is 
expected to formally endorse the agreement reached in the trilogues. 

4. 

COMMENTS ON THE POSITION OF THE COUNCIL 

The  Council's  position  reflects  the  agreement  reached  in  the  trilogues.  The  most  important 
changes introduced compared to the Commission’s proposal include:  

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The progarmme name Erasmus+ instead of Erasmus; 

The  financial  envelope  of  the  programme  set  at    €24.574  billion  in  current 
prices and an additional top-up of €1.7 billion in 2018 prices , resulting from 
the Programme-specific adjustment provided for in  Article 5 and Annex II of 
the Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 (i.e. MFF regulation);  

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Budget distribution modified as follows: 

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Overall envelope: 

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Education and Training share decreased from 83.1 to 83% 

Sport increased from 1.8% to 1.9% 

National Agencies management fees increased from 3.2 to 3.3%;  

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Shares within the Education and Training budget: 

  Mobility of adult learners increased from 4.8 to 5.8%; 

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Vocational education and training increased from 21% to 21.5%; 

“At least” 1.8% dedicated to Jean Monnet action; 

“At  least”  17%  share  for  horizontal  activities  and  centrally  managed 
actions,  including  the  indicative  amount  of  EUR  400  million  for  the 
Centres of vocational excellence outlined in the Commission statement; 

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Flexibility margin decreased from 5.5% to 4.1%. 

Mobility of adult learners under Key Action 1 (learning mobility); 

A reinforced inclusion dimension (stand alone chapter with two new articles); 

A  new  Annex  broadly  describing  the  programme  actions,  preserving  the  necessary 
flexibility for programme implementation and amendable by a delegated act; 

Revised and restructured list of indicators; 

A fixed programme duration aligned with the duration of the Multiannual Financial 
Framework; 

Addition of retroactivity provisions; 

Revised provisions concerning the conditions for the participation of third countries 
associated and not associated to the porgramme. 

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In  general,  the  agreement  reached  preserves  the  objectives  of  the  Commission’s  original 
proposal,  maintaining  the  level  of  ambition  and  allowing  the  flexibility  required  for  the 
implementation of the programme. 

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5. 

CONCLUSION 

The Commission accepts the position taken by the Council. 

6. 

DECLARATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

The Commission has made one declaration which can be found in the annex. 

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ANNEX 

Statement by the European Commission on the specific allocations for the platforms of 

Centres of vocational excellence 

Without  prejudice to  the powers of the legislative and budgetary authority, the Commission 

commits to allocating an indicative amount of EUR 400 million in current prices to support 

platforms  of  Centres  for  vocational  excellence  over  the  whole  duration  of  the  programme, 

provided that the interim evaluation of the programme confirms a positive assessment of the 

results of the action. 

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