The Erasmus+ programme should target a wider public than it currently does by including apprentices and early school leavers. This is one of the key messages defended by the European Parliament in a non-legislative resolution adopted during the Brussels plenary session on Thursday 2 February.
The report by Milan Zver (EPP, Slovenia) provides an insight into programme implementation over the first two and a half years of its existence and provides suggestions for improvement over the remaining programming period. It is expected to contribute to the midterm programme review the European Commission is presenting at the end of this year.
Overall, Parliament's report recommends an expansion in the public targeted by the “Erasmus+ programme for education, training, youth and sport” to young people in vocational training and early school leavers. It also calls on the Commission to improve the new loans guarantee mechanism so that conditions for lending are favourable to Masters students. This mechanism has hitherto been highly underused (130 students).
With regard to the programme budget, Parliament welcomes the increase compared to the previous financial programming period (+40%) and welcomes the Commission’s intention to provide an additional €200 million to the programme for the remaining period. Nonetheless, it regrets that due to administrative constraints, Erasmus+ funding is not always accessible to small-scale organisations. It also considers that they need to go further during the next programming period.
Finally, MEPs advise the Commission not to undergo any further harmonisation during the next programme implementation period in order to conserve greater clarity.
The report was adopted by 497 votes in favour, 39 against, with 60 abstentions. The 40 amendments from the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group were all rejected. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)