Open letter: Don't cut young people out
Young people deserve dedicated spaces for learning, mobility, and solidarity beyond classrooms. Diluting or merging Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps risks leaving many behind. On Friday 27/06/2025 we sent a letter to call for a strong youth chapter, an independent ESC, and five times more funding. Young people's future must keep moving forward, not backwards. Europe should not cut costs on young people.
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Dear Executive Vice-President Mînzatu,
Dear Commissioner Micallef,
On behalf of the European Youth Forum, we are writing to express our deep concern and urgent call to action regarding the future of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programmes, as the next programming period is being shaped.
We trust that you, as the designated champions of young people in the College of Commissioners, will safeguard the immense benefit that the Erasmus+ youth chapter and ESC bring to young people and European society. We believe that to achieve this goal, it is critical to maintain all of the Erasmus+ programme’s components together, most essentially its youth chapter and its current structure based on key actions. We therefore urge you to take the following steps to ensure the future of these programmes remains aligned with the EU’s strategic objectives and young people’s needs:
1. Guarantee the continuity and integrity of an ambitious Erasmus+ youth chapter
The youth chapter of Erasmus+ is a critical part of the programme with distinct added value. It enables young people to participate in non-formal learning, cross-border exchanges, and civic activities that build life skills and democratic engagement. It has empowered countless youth organisations, especially at the grassroots level, to work transnationally and inclusively. In short, the youth chapter of Erasmus+ is the cornerstone of the European youth sector.
Diluting the youth chapter of Erasmus+ or merging it within other sectors would fundamentally weaken its capacity to reach young people, especially outside formal education systems. Removing the youth chapter from Erasmus+ would take opportunities away from young people with fewer opportunities who are not students.
The next iteration of the Erasmus+ Programme must, therefore, continue to include an independent youth chapter with a corresponding earmarking in the budget of minimum 15% beyond the current 10.3%.
2. Maintain the structure of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps
Erasmus+ works because it successfully distributes funding both directly through the European Commission and through the National Agencies. It also promotes exchange and cross-pollination between different actors and strands which are key for a thriving and youthful society. This structure brings together individual mobility, organisational cooperation and policy dialogue. Splitting or centralising part of these mechanisms into a bigger Competitiveness Fund would undermine the programme’s accessibility, responsiveness, and long-standing success in reaching diverse actors across Europe. The Erasmus+ architecture through the three Key Actions must be preserved to ensure its continued impact across the youth sector.
Similarly, the ESC uniquely supports volunteering and solidarity projects, often for young people with fewer opportunities, and has gained high visibility and trust including beyond formal education. Absorbing it into Erasmus+ would increase participation barriers and weaken the programme’s distinct focus. As such the ESC should remain an autonomous programme with its own mission, branding, and management.
3. Commit to a substantial budget increase for Erasmus+ and the ESC youth programmes
The ambition and reach of both programmes must be matched by adequate financial resources. Despite their strong results and growing demand, too many young people remain excluded due to insufficient funding.
We call for a five times budgetary increase in both Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps for the 2028–2034 period, with dedicated envelopes for the youth chapter of Erasmus+ and the ESC.
We stand ready to work with you and other stakeholders to secure a future Erasmus+ and ESC that remain ambitious, inclusive, and resilient.
Europe’s youth cannot afford a step backwards.
Yours sincerely,
Rareş Voicu, President of the European Youth Forum
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