Joint letter: Erasmus+ is a bargain: at least 47.4 billion for all our progress
On 15-16 October, the European Council meeting will take place, bringing together the heads of state and government of the EU. At the top of the agenda will be potential cuts to the next EU budget for 2028-2034, which could be translated into a reduction for the next Erasmus+ Programme. In the European Youth Forum, we strongly believe that any discussion on budget reduction should not impact the future livelihood and opportunities of young people in Europe. Along with our friends from the Erasmus+ Coalition - representing 6200 member organisations across Europe and millions of programme beneficiaries from the education, training, youth, volunteering and sports sectors - we call upon the EU Finance and Foreign Affairs Ministers to secure at least EUR 47.4 billion for the Erasmus+ Programme 2028-2034. Read the full joint letter below.
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To the attention of the European Finance and Foreign/European Affairs Ministers,
The Erasmus+ Coalition gathers 88 EU-level organisations, representing over 6200 member organisations across Europe and millions of programme beneficiaries from the education, training, youth, volunteering and sports sectors. These members represent your schools, your universities and higher education institutions, your vocational education centres, your teachers and educators, your parents, your pupils and students, your volunteers, they are your sports organisations, they are your youth organisations, youth workers and the entirety of Europe’s young people, but they are also your current generation of adult learners.
They make up the European population which recognises Erasmus+ as the fourth greatest achievement in the history of the EU and most famous funding programme of the EU, celebrating 40 years of existence in 2027. We all unite, irrespective of country, background or experiences and call with one voice to ensure that no political discussion and negotiation for the next EU long-term budget leads to cutting our future. Irrespective of how the next EU budget will be allocated, Erasmus+ must be kept at least at 47.4 billion EUR.
Why should we privilege Erasmus+?
The current Erasmus+ Programme accounts only for 2% of the EU budget, yet it is one of the most impactful EU initiatives. This is the case because education and training, youth, volunteering, and sport set the foundation for the future, prosperity, stability, and identity of each Member State of the EU. While the 2% is far from enough to match its ambition and even less to be considered an all inclusive programme, further cuts would be a harmful message to the generations to come. At a time when we are confronted with many global crises, Erasmus+ provides a crucial tool to tackle them. We cannot afford to take the wrong decision at such a turning point in history.
According to PISA, 33% of our young people do not reach basic literacy. They are tomorrow’s voters and need to comprehend the reforms your governments plan for them. At the same time, 96% of Erasmus+ participants declare having increased their key competences, while only reaching a minority of the EU learner population. We are lost without learning. You must send the right message to all Europeans and invest in quality learning and Erasmus+.
The empowering nature of education and training, supporting Europe’s youth, and the power of sport are common hallmarks across our cultures. It is time to reiterate this support and ensure that Erasmus+ is maintained at a minimum of 47.4 billion EUR.
What return on investment will Erasmus+ funding bring?
Erasmus+ is a success story from an economic point of view. Every euro invested in the programme brings a tenfold return on investment. This far exceeds even the World Bank’s analysis that shows a 9-10% return on investment for education and training spending. Now, more than ever, we need to build a more prosperous future and invest further in education and training, building our capacity to respond to the global and geopolitical challenges ahead. We can bring a tenfold return to 47.4 billion EUR and reinvest it in the Member States. This does not even account for Erasmus+’s most important impact: developing a resilient population which values democracy, trusts democratic institutions and is capable of critical thinking.
Erasmus+ fit for future
Your government must respond to competitiveness. It must address security in the midst of global crises. The digitalisation and expansion of AI begs further investment. The housing crises, the environmental challenges, and the general cost of living all take a toll. But no challenge can be tackled without your citizens’ commitment to the European project and without their basic competences. If all EU budget lines are up for discussion, do not cut the 2% that actually ensures that our citizens and countries are able to understand and address these challenges. Maintain Erasmus+ at 47.4 billion EUR to ensure Europe has the tools to stand up to global crises. At a time when Europe needs greater resilience, competitiveness, democratic participation and capacity for change, reducing Erasmus+ means reducing one of the mechanisms that builds those capabilities. This is a small price to pay to achieve progress for all!
Yours sincerely,
Caillum Hedderman
President of the European Youth Forum
Elisa Gambardella
President of the Lifelong Learning Platform
Erasmus+ is a bargain: at least 47.4 billion for all our progress
Joint letter European Youth Forum and Lifelong Learning Platform, 2026
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