In the context of the MFF negotiations, the LLLPlatform is happy to share yet another milestone achievement! The European Parliament’s CULT Committee adopted its report on the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme!

This report, pending the final adoption in the Plenary on 25 March, outlines the Parliament’s position ahead of the “trilogue” negotiations with the European Commission and Council of the EU for the definition of the new Erasmus+ programme.

The Lifelong Learning Platform is particularly happy because we see our advocacy efforts, as fostered in the framework of the Erasmus+ Coalition, reflected in the adopted document. So, what did we achieve?

Among other elements, the report:

• calls for triple budget for the 2021-2027 period (against ‘only’ the double, as in the Commission’s proposal);
• addresses the needs of people with fewer opportunities by foreseeing language training, administrative support or e-learning opportunities before and during mobility;
• defines a more cross-sector lifelong learning approach than the EC’s original proposal by including it as a clear and specific objective;
• envisions that all project applications by EU-wide networks should be managed at centralised level (rather than nationally in Belgium, etc.);
• calls upon the EC to develop an inclusion strategy for the programme to act as a framework to be adapted and implemented by the National Agencies;
• promotes more co-funding and synergies with other European programmes, as our Erasmus+ Implementation Survey Report highlighted.

The consolidated text will be available here in the coming weeks. The vote in favour of the Erasmus+ report was transversal, in that all major political groups have expressed their satisfaction with the text and its ambitious objectives. The LLLPlatform will keep on advocating for equity and social cohesion in education and training, and will continue to do so with the strength of its membership, without whom none of this would have been possible!