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Erasmus+ programme for education, training, youth and sport 2014-2020

2011/0371(COD)

PURPOSE: to establish the programme "Erasmus +", the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2020, bringing together the Lifelong Learning, Youth in Action and Erasmus Mundus programmes.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC.

CONTENT: this Regulation establishes a programme for Union action in the field of education, training, youth and sport called 'Erasmus+' for the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020.

Scope of the Programme: the Programme shall cover the following fields, whilst respecting the structures and specific needs of the various sectors in the Member States:

  • education and training at all levels, in a lifelong learning perspective, including school education (Comenius), higher education (Erasmus), international higher education (Erasmus Mundus), vocational education and training (Leonardo da Vinci) and adult learning (Grundtvig);
  • youth (Youth in Action), particularly in the context of non- formal and informal learning;
  • sport, in particular grassroots sport.

The Programme shall include an international dimension aimed at supporting the Union's external action, including its development objectives, through cooperation between the Union and partner countries.

European added value: the Programme shall support only those actions and activities which present a potential European added value through their: (a) transnational character, particularly with regard to mobility and cooperation aimed at achieving a sustainable systemic impact; (ii) complementarity and synergy with other programmes and policies at national, Union and international level; (iii) contribution to the effective use of Union transparency and recognition tools.

General objectives of the programme: the general objectives of the ERASMUS+ Programme aim to contribute to the achievement of: (i) the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, including the headline education target; (ii) the objectives of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training ('ET 2020'), including the corresponding benchmarks; (iii) the sustainable development of partner countries in the field of higher education; (iv) the overall objectives of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018); (v) the objective of developing the European dimension in sport, in particular grassroots sport, in line with the Union work plan for sport; and (vi) the promotion of European values.

Specific objectives: the specific objectives of the Programme are laid down in accordance with the main areas of action:

1) Education and training: for this part of the Programme, the aims are to:

  • improve the level of key competences and skills, with particular regard to their relevance for the labour market and their contribution to a cohesive society ;
  • foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and internationalisation at the level of education and training institutions;
  • promote the emergence and raise awareness of a European lifelong learning area designed to complement policy reforms at national level;
  • enhance the international dimension of education and training, in particular through cooperation between Union and partner-country institutions in the field of VET and in higher education;
  • improve the teaching and learning of languages and to promote the Union's broad linguistic diversity and intercultural awareness;
  • promote excellence in teaching and research activities in European integration.

Mobility: the following activities shall be supported:

  • the mobility of students in all cycles of higher education and of students, apprentices and pupils in vocational education and training. This mobility may take the form of studying at a partner institution or traineeships or gaining experience as an apprentice, assistant or trainee abroad. Degree mobility at Master's level may be supported through the Student Loan Guarantee Facility;
  • the mobility of staff, under the form of teaching or assistantships or participation in professional development activities abroad.

Cooperation actions as regards innovation and exchange of best practice and support for policy reforms as regards teaching, notably in the context of the Bologna Process, have been provided.

As regards the Jean Monnet activities, the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA); Maastricht the Academy of European Law, Trier; the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, Odense; the International Centre for European Training (CIFE), Nice have been added to the list of European institutions receiving support.

2)  Youth: the specific objectives of this chapter (ERASMUS+) are to:

  • improve the level of key competences and skills of young people, including those with fewer opportunities, as well as to promote participation in democratic life in Europe and the labour market, active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and solidarity;
  • foster quality improvements in youth work, in particular through enhanced cooperation between organisations in the youth field and/or other stakeholders;
  • complement policy reforms at local, regional and national level and to support the development of knowledge and evidence-based youth policy;
  • enhance the international dimension of youth activities and the role of youth workers and organisations as support structures for young people.

Actions of the Programme: the Programme shall pursue its objectives through the following types of actions:

  • learning mobility of individuals;
  • cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices;
  • support for policy reform.

3) Sport: in line with the general objective of the Programme, , and with the Union work plan for sport, the Programme shall focus in particular on grassroots sport and shall pursue the following specific objectives: (i) to tackle cross-border threats to the integrity of sport, such as doping, match-fixing and violence, as well as all kinds of intolerance and discrimination;

(ii) to promote and support good governance in sport and dual careers of athletes; (iii) to promote voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity through increased participation in, and equal access to, sport for all.

Financial provisions: the financial envelope for the implementation of the Programme as from 1 January 2014 is set at EUR 14 774 524 000 from 2014-2020.

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the European Parliament and the Council within the limits of the multiannual financial framework. The amount shall be allocated to the actions of the Programme as follows, with a margin of flexibility not exceeding 5 % of each of the allocated amounts:

  • 77.5% to education and training, from which the following minimum allocations shall be assigned: (i) 43% to higher education, representing 33.3% of the total budget; (ii) 22% to vocational education and training, representing 17% of the total budget; (iii) 15% to school education, representing 11.6% of the total budget; (iv) 5% to adult learning;
  • 10% to youth;
  • 3.5% to the Student Loan Guarantee Facility;
  • 1.9% to Jean Monnet;
  • 1.8% to sport, of which no more than 10 % to the activity mentioned under point (b) of Article 17(1);
  • 3.4% as operating grants to national agencies; and
  • 1.9% to cover administrative expenditure.

Of the allocations, at least 63% shall be allocated to learning mobility of individuals.

In addition to the financial envelope, and in order to promote the international dimension of higher education, additional funding, as provided for in the different EU external instruments, shall be allocated to actions in respect of learning mobility to or from partner countries, and to cooperation and policy dialogue with authorities, institutions and organisations from those countries.

European Student Loan Guarantee Facility: the programme allocation provides for the financing of a European Student Loan Facility to provide partial guarantees for loans on favourable conditions to mobile master students. The guarantee shall cover new eligible student loans up to a maximum of EUR 12 000 for a one-year programme and up to EUR 18 000 for a programme lasting up to two years, or their equivalent in local currency. This additional and innovative tool for learning mobility should neither replace any current, nor impede the development of any future, grant or loan system supporting student mobility at local, national or Union level. The management of the Student Loan Guarantee Facility at Union level shall be entrusted to the European Investment Fund (EIF).

Monitoring and evaluation of performance and results: a series of measures is provided to ensure the regular monitoring and evaluation of the Programme. To this end, the Regulation

establishes performance indicators to be taken into account in the framework of the various evaluations:

  • mid-term evaluation report by 31 December 2017;
  • report on the implementation and the impact of the Programme in their respective territories by 30 June 2017;
  • final evaluation of the Programme by 30 June 2022.

Coherence and complementarity: all the actions must seek to strengthen the synergies with the Union’s other programmes, in particular with those relating to culture and the media, employment, research and innovation, industry and enterprise, cohesion and development policy, as well as enlargement policy and initiatives, instruments and strategies in the field of regional policy and external relations.

National authorities or agencies: Member States shall establish an appropriate mechanism for the coordinated management of the implementation of the Programme at national level, particularly with a view to ensuring coherent and cost- efficient implementation of the Programme and effective contact with the Commission in this respect, and to facilitating the possible transfer of funds between agencies, thereby allowing for flexibility and better use of funds allocated to Member States. By 22 March 2014, the national authority shall designate a national agency or national agencies. In cases where there is more than one national agency, Member States shall establish an appropriate mechanism for the coordinated management of the implementation of the Programme at national level, particularly with a view to ensuring coherent and cost- efficient implementation of the Programme and effective contact with the Commission in this respect, and to facilitating the possible transfer of funds between agencies, thereby allowing for flexibility and better use of funds allocated to Member States.

The Member States shall take all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the Programme, including, where possible, measures aimed at resolving issues that give rise to difficulties in obtaining visas.

Work programmes: in order to implement the Programme, the Commission shall adopt annual work programmes by way of implementing acts in accordance with the examination procedure.

Annexes: for the internal coherence of the text, a new annex incorporates all evaluation indicators in relation to each specific objective as set out in body of the text. Provision is also made for a new annex providing technical information concerning the European Student Loan Guarantee Facility.

Repeal: Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC shall be repealed with effect from 1 January 2014.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21.12.2013. It shall apply from 01.01.2014.

DELEGATED ACTS: in order to place the management of tasks at the most appropriate level, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts concerning the amendment of Article 28(3), but only in respect of providing for additional actions to be managed by the national agencies. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission for the entire duration of the programme.

The European Parliament or the Council may raise objections with regard to a delegated act within two months of the date of notification (which may be extended by two months). If Parliament or Council raise objections, the delegated act will not enter into force.