On 18 February, 17 higher education organisations and networks, including the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) and its member organisation - DAAD, issued joint amendments to the European Commission’s proposal for the Erasmus+ programme (2028-2034), accompanied by a cover letter.
The co-signatories reiterated the importance of Erasmus+ in developing the European Education Area alongside the Union of Skills, and contributing to the personal, educational and professional development of individuals. Building on their prior statement as of January 2026 concerning the programme budget, the stakeholders proposed a series of amendments reflecting the following points:
- Investing at least EUR 60 billion in Erasmus+ (2028–2034), with clear sectoral allocations and maintaining a minimum 34.6% share for higher education;
- Reaffirming learning mobility and institutional cooperation across all study fields as core objectives, with a strong focus on quality and inclusion;
- Reintroducing a strong Erasmus+ committee procedure to ensure transparency, consistency and evidence-based implementation;
- Ensuring scholarships in strategic fields bring real added value, are innovative and transnational in nature, and do not divert resources from core mobility (with co-funding where appropriate);
- Building stronger synergies with other EU programmes, notably Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund, including to support European Universities alliances;
- Providing clear pathways for the association of the UK and Switzerland to the next programme;
- Promoting a stronger international dimension, with more opportunities for global mobility, cooperation and policy dialogue, supported by additional Global Europe funding;
- Strengthening support for students and staff at risk, through flexible funding and dedicated scholarship schemes.
The joint amendments were presented to the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) for consideration within its stakeholder consultation process.
