08/06/2026 (Agence Europe) – Nearly 41,000 18-year-olds will receive a travel pass under DiscoverEU following the March 2026 call for applications, the European Commission announced on Monday 8 June. 40,912 candidates were selected from 220,501 applications submitted by young people born between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008 in EU Member States and countries associated with the Erasmus+ programme. Participants will be able to travel alone or in groups of up to five people, primarily by train, between July 2026 and September 2027. Since its launch in 2018, the initiative has allowed young people to discover cultural diversity and European heritage while meeting other participants across the continent. More than two million applications have been received over the fourteen selection cycles organised since its creation. (NP)