Brussels, 19/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 19 November, the European Parliament adopted, by 362 votes to 29, with 30 abstentions, the new European programme Erasmus+. This will replace the current programmes for education and youth - although these will keep their labels - from 1 January 2014 until 31 December 2020, and will now include a sports plank. The budget allocated to the programme has been significantly increased and now stands at €14.7 billion.
“From formal and non-formal education to youth and sports - all EU funds in these fields will be consolidated (…). The established programmes have been preserved and improved: Erasmus students will be given more flexibility with their studies abroad. In a pilot phase, Masters students may apply for a loan to finance their studies. The Comenius Programme and the online portal eTwinning will be strengthened and will be the basis for all school partnerships”, rapporteur Doris Pack (EPP, Germany) explained. Welcoming the increased budget for the various sub-programmes, Commissioner for Education Androulla Vassilou stressed that Erasmus + will promote youth mobility, allowing young people to acquire the cross-cutting skills they need and the language skills that are vital to find a job. As well as bursaries granted to individuals, Erasmus+ will also support partnerships between teaching institutions and businesses, designed to make it easier for students to move from the world of education to the world of business and to improve the quality of education in the member states. “This is crucial if we are to equip our young generation with the qualifications and skills they need to succeed in life”, said Vassiliou.
For Masters students, Erasmus+ also offers students the possibility to take out loans at a reduced rate, from €12,000 (for one-year Masters degrees) up to €18,000 (for 2-year courses). This point came in for considerable criticism from some member states, particularly France, due to concerns that this would lead to young people getting into debt. Pack, on the other hand, feels that this is a real bonus, which will enable students from low income backgrounds to pay for their Masters studies in a member state other than their own, which may not have been an option to them otherwise, due to a lack of resources. These loans will not replace the funding available at local, national and European levels, the EP stresses. (IL/transl.fl)