Brussels, 25/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 25 October, the European Parliament expressed grave concern about the future of the Erasmus student exchange programme, urging the member states to respect their commitments for the financing of the programme in 2012. Erasmus is symbolic of the best of the European Union and must not suffer from the financial crisis because education and mobility are vital ways of getting out of the crisis, explained the MEPs. All political parties across the board defend Erasmus with gusto and call on the Council of Ministers to ensure its viability into the long-term. All parties, that is, except “Europe of Freedom and Democracy,” which calls for Erasmus to be scrapped.
EU Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski told the European Parliament about the funding problems for Erasmus, and his draft amending budget to ensure enough money is available to continue the programme until the end of the year, some €90 million of the €180 million requested for the Lifelong Education and Training programmes. During the debate on the 2013 budget on Monday 22 October, many MEPs expressed concern about a possible repetition in 2013 of Erasmus running out of cash if the member states stick to their guns over the cuts they want to make in the draft EU budget for 2013, unveiled in April. Erasmus and other lifelong education and training programmes are not the only ones at risk. The seventh research and development programme and the European Social Fund are also jeopardised.
Lewandowski said mobility is extremely important in the European Union and education is a key point of the policy to tackle unemployment. What is at stake here, he said, is the future of Erasmus for 2014-2020. The chair of the Parliament Budget Committee, Alain Lamassoure, rang the alarm bell and warned of the dangers to the financial viability of Erasmus because 99% of the budget for 2012 has already been used up by the national agencies of the 33 countries involved in the programme, at a time when the programme is reaching cruising speed and extra requests are still being received in many countries, explained the Commissioner. He said that Erasmus had to be properly run and if no further money is forthcoming, then problems will simply accumulate in 2013.
In their speeches, MEPs slammed the attitude of the member states which say they are prioritising education and jobs, while undermining any attempts to turn the fine words into action if this requires finance. This is unacceptable, repeated the MEPs, brandishing the spectre of a two-speed Europe. The chair of the Parliaments's Education and Culture Committee, Doris Pack (EPP, Germany), said member states should keep to their commitments, but they are failing to do so. Governments have signed up to the mobility objectives for 2020, but are not supporting 5% of the students taking part in Erasmus, she said. Erasmus encourages student mobility and gives a European dimension to their studies and this is what the member states are endangering, said Hannes Swoboda (S&D, Austria), calling on the Cypriot Presidency to put pressure on ministers. Morten Lokkegaard (ADLE, Denmark) said bills have to be paid and this highly popular and practical programme must not be held hostage by a battle of tactics among the institutions. On behalf of the Greens/EFA, Helga Trüpel (Germany) asked how people can be so short-sighted and irresponsible in this sabotaging of Europe's credibility. She said it would make more sense to cut the subsidies paid to grow tobacco. Marek Migalski of Poland said on behalf of the Conservative and Reformists' group that everyone was concerned and the Council has to pull out the stops to ensure the money does not run out. Education is an area where there should be greater, not less, investment, he said, adding that it was embarrassing to show citizens that one's pockets are empty. Willy Meyer of Spain, on behalf of United Left, said that it was unacceptable. He pointed out that the problems for Erasmus are an attack on education across the board, adding that education is a universal right and student debt, particularly in the south of Europe, has never been higher. Cypriot European affairs minister Andreas Mavroyiannis intervened several times in the debate to make reassuring noises, saying that he had taken note of the MEPs' concerns and would be passing them on. He assured them that he shared the idea that Erasmus was crucial for future generations and said that talks were under way about funding for 2014-2020 and must not be prejudged; but he had the feeling that Erasmus was not under threat as the EU was too committed to it. (IL/transl.fl)