On Wednesday 20th February, Parliament's Culture and Education Committee voted to support the next Erasmus+ Programme for 2021-2027 and suggested measures to improve it further. MEPs proposed to triple the budget and ensure there is more co-funding and cooperation with other European programmes.
The Rapporteur suggested to increase the budget for the new Erasmus+ to 45 billion Euros. This amount would allow to develop three big new initiatives: European Universities, Centres of Vocational Excellence and DiscoverEU activities.
The enlarged budget will also upgrade the existing components of the programme: mobility’s improvement for school children, adults, sports coaches and young athletes as well as increased language-learning opportunities. The new Erasmus will be easier to use and more accessible for all European citizens, regardless of their socio-economic background. At the same time, funds for vocational education, adults, schools and sport will also be raised.
In the context of this new Erasmus+, last 5th February Commissioner Navracsics and Serbian Minister for Education, Science and Technological Development, Mladen Šarčević, signed an agreement upgrading Serbia's participation in the Erasmus+ Programme. Serbia is now officially a new Erasmus+ programme country with the same footing of the EU Member States, being in the same position than Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.