More actions for More Erasmus+
From the European Parliament to the Council, we are fighting to secure a budget that matches our generation's ambition. Here is how our recent work is shaping the future of the Erasmus+ programme.
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The future of Erasmus+ is being decided right now
Ever since launching our #MoreErasmusMoreEurope campaign last July we have been on a mission to ensure the next programme is accessible, inclusive, and properly funded.
We aren't just watching from the sidelines; we are in the room where decisions happen. Over the past few months, we have been invited to share the voices of young Europeans directly with the EU institutions. Here is a look at the key milestones in our fight for a stronger programme.
Defending our corner in the EU Budget
November 25, 2025
When the European Commission opened the floor for input on the EU’s next long-term budget (MFF), we made sure youth voices were the first to be heard. We submitted our official position, refusing to let youth funding become an easy target for cuts. We demanded that funding for cross-border education, training, and youth initiatives be protected and expanded, ensuring that civil society remains a priority in Europe's financial future.
Face-to-face with EU Ministers
November 27, 2025
Two days later, we took the message to the top political level. At the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council in Brussels, our President, Rareș Voicu, was invited to meet EU Ministers and he made a critical point: you cannot build youth resilience without funding it. He made it clear that Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps are the lifelines of democratic engagement and require a dedicated youth focus to function effectively.
Setting the agenda in the European Parliament
December 3, 2025
In December, we shifted gears to the European Parliament. We organised “The Path to a Strong Erasmus+ Programme” with MEP Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP), Benedetta Scuderi (Greens) and Sabrina Repp (S&D).
This wasn't just a discussion; it was a statement of intent. Together with youth organisations, we laid out the key priorities for the next Erasmus+ regulations:
💰 A fivefold increase in the budget.
📈 A dedicated Youth Chapter with a 15% minimum earmarking.
🏛️ A clear definition of "youth organisation" to ensure rightful recognition and support.
Youth organisations are at the heart of non-formal learning, civic engagement and participation and their role must be explicitly recognised to ensure that funds reach the intended beneficiaries and that young people remains visible, accessible, and properly supported within Erasmus+.
Shaping the rules: the 2026 consultation
January 14, 2026
We kicked off the new year by getting into the technical details. The first consultation of 2026 brought together the parliamentary Rapporteurs, the European Commission (DG EAC), International Youth NGOs and National Youth Councils.
Youth organisations successfully intervened to push for:
- A dedicated Youth Chapter and a minimum 15% earmarking
- Protection of non-formal education, volunteering and youth work
- A clear description of actions under the European Solidarity Corps
- Clear definitions of youth organisations, participatory governance, operating grants and reduced bureaucracy
The consultation, organised by the European Parliament, aimed to gather the stances and demands of youth representatives regarding the Erasmus+ programme. Their interventions were crucial for the rapporteurs as they will start to draft the upcoming report on the Erasmus+ programme (2028-2034).
A win with Civil Society
Our advocacy is working. On January 21st, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the voice of organised civil society, officially adopted an opinion that backs many of our key demands. This is a powerful endorsement of our vision. Our Board Member, Caillum Hedderman, was instrumental in this win, working as a youth advisor to the rapporteurs to shape the text from the inside.
Our priorities are also reflected in the policy paper on the Erasmus+ programme for 2028-2034, developed under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This paper draws directly on outcomes from the EU Youth Conference in Copenhagen, where youth delegates adopted recommendations closely aligned with our broader Erasmus+ demands.
What More do we need?
We are committed to young people’s needs, and the solutions that work for them are clear, consistent, and backed by young people across Europe. We encourage all youth organisations to keep raising their voices. We will maintain our collaboration with the institutions to ensure the next Erasmus+ programme delivers on its promise.
More Erasmus = More Europe!
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