Don’t Let Erasmus+ Fall Short: Support the main EU programme for young people

The Erasmus+ Programme is not just an educational tool, but also a vital driver of European unity. We urge EU Member States and Members of the European Parliament to consider the following reasons to safeguard its funding:

1. Promotion of intercultural dialogue, empathy and democracy: the Erasmus+ Programme has been instrumental in fostering intercultural understanding and empathy among young people taking part in it. At a time of growing polarisation across Europe and the world, Erasmus+ allows young people to build empathy, strengthen social cohesion, and develop the values needed to sustain healthy democracies.
   
2. Supporting young people in times of crisis: Europe’s youth continue to face unprecedented challenges following the rising inflation, the broader impacts of geopolitical tensions and the aftermath of COVID-19. Reducing the Erasmus+ budget would only exacerbate the difficulties young people face in accessing opportunities for personal and professional growth and ultimately their own rights. Seeing the disproportional impact of socio-economic challenges on young people, further financial cuts would limit their prospects.
   
3. Aligning the budget with current political ambitions: the European Union has repeatedly emphasised the importance of youth policies in its political objectives. In her Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029, Ursula Von der Leyen calls for strengthening Erasmus+, recognising its importance. The vital necessity of increasing the budget of this programme is also recognised in Mario Draghi’s Report on The Future of European Competitiveness, which suggests increasing the Erasmus+ Programme budget five-fold for its next iteration, in order to reach an ‘Erasmus for all’. Cutting Erasmus+ funding would send a contradictory message and undermine the EU’s commitments to young people. It is essential that budgetary allocations match the political ambitions the EU has set in its policies.
   
4. Promoting social inclusion and equal opportunities: Erasmus+ has proven to be a powerful tool in advancing social inclusion across Europe. Through the opportunities it offers to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, it ensures that all youth have access to life-changing educational and cultural experiences. Cutting the budget would disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, limiting their ability to participate in transformative opportunities that foster equality and inclusion.

As the voice of young people and youth organisations in Europe, the European Youth Forum calls upon EU institutions to ensure that the proposed cut is not approved and that a programme of the impact and value of Erasmus+ is guaranteed the support and resources it deserves.