On 16 July 2025, the European Commission published its proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028–2034. The proposed Erasmus+ envelope for 2028-2034 (ca. EUR 40.8 billion) is a significant uplift compared to the 2021–27 baseline, representing ca. 25% inflation-adjusted increase based on the combined budget of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). 

The proposal is based on the outcomes of the final evaluation of the past programme and the mid-term evaluation of the current Erasmus+ programme, published on 12 July. The evaluation concluded that across both programme generations, Erasmus+ has proven to be successful in delivering a strong European added value and performing well across key evaluation criteria (effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, EU added value, and relevance). Further, the evaluation recommends expanding the reach of the programme; support greater inclusiveness and broader international scope; enhance management and implementation; increase sustainability and scalability, through reinforced dissemination and exploitation of results and synergies with other EU programmes; and strengthen resilience through increased flexibility. 

Building on these recommendations, the Commission’s proposal presents a compelling balance between continuity by recognising the value of Erasmus+ to the EU and stronger alignment with the EU’s strategic agenda. Erasmus+ is evolvinginto a broader and novel policy instrument supporting the EU’s strategic and global objectives, with stronger positioning and an expanded scope than before. The programme is positioned more clearly as a strategic enabler of other EU initiatives such as the European Education Area, European Skills Agenda, Digital Education Action Plan, and the European Green Deal, reinforcing its role in systemic transformation. 

While the core values of mobility, inclusion, and civic engagement remain central, the new programme places increased emphasis on societal transformation and resilience, system-level reform, and geopolitical relevance. New dimensions include (global) humanitarian aid volunteering, support for targeted skills in green and digital transitions, and more streamlined funding mechanisms to enhance accessibility and impact. Beyond the traditional sectors, Erasmus+ will prioritise skills development and institutional cooperation in emerging strategic domains—including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital skills, defence-relevant research and education, and the circular economy—positioning education as a driver of Europe’s global competitiveness. 

In line with these reinforced objectives, the proposal features the following novelties: 

1. Two-pillar structure: To simplify programme navigation and clarify the distinction between individual opportunities and institutional cooperation projects, the programme is restructured around (1) Learning Mobility for All, encompassing learning mobility for students and staff, volunteering and DiscoverEU activities) and (2) Capacity Building Support covering (a) cooperation among organisations and institutions through partnerships for cooperation and partnerships for excellence and innovation, and (b) support to policy development (through experimentation, programme implementation, and dissemination and communication). 
2. Full integration of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC): The ESC is fully embedded within Erasmus+, streamlining management and reinforcing synergies across youth engagement activities. This includes the creation of a new European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, enabling young people to participate in solidarity and crisis response actions within and beyond EU borders. 
3. Introduction of Erasmus+ strategic scholarships: A new scholarship instrument will target learners in key  fields, such as green technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, and digital innovation, aligned with the EU’s green and digital transitions. 
4. Enhanced support for joint and transnational programmes: The new programme increases backing for joint degrees, including those implemented with a European degree (label) and transnational cooperation among higher education institutions. This aligns with the ambitions of the European Education Area and supports  deeper integration of the European University alliances.  
5. Greater emphasis on social and territorial cohesion: The programme aims to reduce disparities by addressing territorial imbalances, including enhanced outreach to rural areas, outermost regions, and smaller or less experienced organisations, through dedicated support and simplified access mechanisms. 
6. Partial and thematic association of third countries: The new legal framework allows for flexible forms of international participation, enabling third countries to associate partially or by thematic strand, rather than through full programme association. This facilitates more targeted cooperation with strategic partners, including in the EU neighbourhood, the Western Balkans, and Sub-Saharan Africa. 
7. Explicit support for Ukraine and neighbouring countries: In line with the EU's geopolitical agenda, the new Erasmus+ programme includes tailored instruments to support Ukraine's integration into European education and training systems, along with continued cooperation with EU Neighbourhood and pre-accession countries. 
8. Mainstreaming of DiscoverEU: The DiscoverEU initiative, which began as a pilot, becomes a core component of the mobility offer. It provides 18-year-olds across Europe with the opportunity to travel by train and discover Europe, now firmly embedded within the individual learning mobility strand. 
9. European Education Pathways for Adults: There is increased attention to lifelong learning, with a specific focus on adult learners, including support for upskilling and reskilling in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Union of Skills. This expands the target group and reinforces Erasmus+ as a tool for social and economic inclusion. 
10. Stronger use of lump sums and simplified grant models: Building on lessons from the current programme, the 2028–2034 proposal extends the use of lump sums, simplified unit costs, and digital tools to improve user-friendliness, particularly for newcomers, NGOs, and grassroots organisations. 
11. Improved monitoring and results framework: The proposal anticipates a stronger impact-oriented evaluation system, with clearer indicators to assess the programme’s contribution to EU priorities such as inclusion, sustainability, and innovation. 

The Commission’s proposal marks a positive step toward reinforcing Erasmus+ as a strategic policy instrument and provides a solid foundation for the upcoming negotiations. It is broadly in line with the recommendations made on behalf of ACA and ACA members on the mid-term review of the Erasmus+ programme and the outlook beyond 2027 (see ACA policy inputs from February 2025 and May 2025). 

However, it also leaves several open questions regarding funding distribution, action architecture, and sectoral implementation, which will require further clarification and collaborative shaping. In their first reactions to the Commission’s proposals, several higher education stakeholders such as EUA and Neth-ER expressed concerns about the programme’s ability to fully support both longstanding commitments, particularly regarding mobility and inclusion, and new policy priorities including ambitions for European Universities alliances. 

Further analysis shows that although the proposal emphasises enhanced support for different sectors, the actual breakdown of funding per sector is not yet disclosed and is subject to negotiation. For higher education, where some of the most cost-intensive components are proposed (e.g., strategic scholarships, joint programmes, European University alliances), it is not yet clear how these actions will be funded, at what scale, or through which specific strands. Some of the unanswered questions include the levels of study to be supported by Erasmus+ scholarships, or the extent of support offered to the design and/or delivery of joint programmes (assumingly encompassing Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters), as well as the related (centralised or decentralised) implementation mechanisms.  

Furthermore, while the proposal clearly reinforces the global outlook of Erasmus+, including international mobility, humanitarian aid volunteering, and talent partnerships, which are all relevent for higher education, there is currently no clarity on the funding envelope allocated to the global dimension actions. The extent to which the global ambitions are matched by dedicated budget lines (particularly under Heading 6 / Global Europe) remains an open question, especially in light of expanded geopolitical engagement. In addition, the programme’s partial association modalities are still to be detailed.  

Finally, although the proposal signals an intention to streamline learning mobility across sectors and types (e.g. student/staff, short/long term, intra-EU/international), it lacks clarity on how this mainstreaming will be implemented in practice, especially when it comes to the possible merger of Key Action 131 (intra-European) and Key Action 171 (international) into a single mobility strand. The broader mainstreaming agenda would also require coherent approaches to blended, virtual, and short-term mobility, as well as a clear framework for addressing inclusion, recognition, and quality assurance across diverse learner profiles and mobility types.  

As the specific implementation modalities are yet to be worked out in the coming months, ACA remains committed to supporting EU policymakers in their co-design to ensure the future programme delivers meaningful and lasting impact across all levels.