Continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU

PURPOSE: to protect the rights of Erasmus+ participants in the event of Brexit without a withdrawal agreement.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: a withdrawal agreement was concluded between the Union and the United Kingdom and endorsed by the European Council (Article 50) on 25 November 2018. However, its ratification in the United Kingdom is uncertain. This proposal is part of a package of emergency measures proposed by the Commission to deal with a possible withdrawal from the European Union without the United Kingdom's agreement.

The Erasmus+ programme supports actions in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. Every year, it provides nearly 800 000 people the opportunity to benefit from learning or training abroad. Mobility activities can last up to 12 months.

The Commission estimates that by the time the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland withdraws from the European Union, there will be almost 14 000 learners from EU-27 post-Brexit (students and trainees in higher education and vocational education and training, young learners, educational staff) in the United Kingdom and some 7 000 learners from the United Kingdom within EU-27 post-Brexit.

In the absence of an agreement, the current participants would not be able to complete their Erasmus+ semester, and may no longer benefit from scholarships. Many students would lose their university credits and be forced to repeat their semester or academic year, which would have a disruptive effect both on the students themselves and on their home and host institutions.

Urgent measures are needed to avoid disruption of mobility activities for education and training purposes under Erasmus+ in which the United Kingdom participates at the time of its withdrawal from the European Union.

CONTENT: the proposed Regulation ensures that, in the absence of a withdrawal agreement, young people from the European Union and the United Kingdom participating in the Erasmus+ programme as of 30 March 2019 shall be able to complete their stay without interruption, complete their studies and continue to receive the corresponding funding or grants.

For the purposes of the continuation of financing of ongoing learning mobility activities from the Union budget, the Commission and the United Kingdom should agree to allow the exercise of controls and audits of the respective activities. If the necessary controls and audits cannot be carried out, this should be considered a serious deficiency in the management and control system.

This Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date.