On Thursday 11 September, the European Parliament adopted a resolution outlining “A new vision for the European Universities Alliances” , supported by a large majority. The document reiterates the EU’s political commitment to the development of the European Universities Initiative, while also identifying persistent obstacles to be addressed to ensure its successful roll-out. 

The resolution highlights the strategic role of alliances in strengthening mobility, research and innovation, as well as reinforcing Europe’s competitiveness and attractiveness. It praises the alliances’ role in piloting the European degree, in experimenting with innovative ways of teaching and learning, and in contributing towards the creation of a single EU accreditation area.  

On the other hand, the insufficient development of the alliances’ research and innovation pillars remains concerning, calling for the creation of networks of excellence for researchers and closer integration of alliances with the private sector. Doubts are also cast in relation to the current mobility targets (50% of students in participating alliances), which might require reconsideration.  

To tackle these shortcomings, the resolution urges the Commission to abandon the “project-based” logic of the initiative in favor of a long-term vision, to be reflected firstly in the funding instruments. 

The Commission is invited to explore the feasibility of a separate funding programme for the European Universities alliances in the post-2027 MFF, to be coupled with new qualitative criteria aimed at ensuring that funding is allocated to alliances with a measurable transformative impact. On top of that,  the development of a comprehensive investment strategy incorporating synergies with the other main EU spending programmes, as well as the support from national, regional and private co-funding initiatives, will be crucial. 

Alliances are increasingly expected to help universities address socio-economic challenges, especially on topics linked to European strategic objectives, such as resilience, energy, the green and digital transitions, and defence. They also have a key role in upholding EU values, democratic resilience, and institutional autonomy, while promoting wider accessibility and the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities in their activities.  

Future success of the initiative will thus depend on the alliances’ ability to produce systemic added value, by ensuring that the outcomes of their activities can benefit not only the wider higher education sector, but society as a whole. Taken together, the Commission has now been invited to keep the aforementioned issues in mind when elaborating the criteria for possible future calls.