EU auditors warns of risks to transparency and accountability in Erasmus+ proposal for 2028-2034

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) says that the lack of breakdown in the budget between the different pillars and actions of the Erasmus+ programme for 2028-2034 in the European Commission's proposal reduces predictability for national authorities and complicates long-term planning.

In an opinion published on 12/03/2026, the ECA says: "While the budget may require a certain degree of flexibility to deal with unexpected challenges or evolving scenarios, it is also important that flexibility arrangements do not compromise accountability and transparency in the use of the EU funds, and strike a balance between predictability and flexibility."

The Court also thinks that the performance framework set out in the proposal contains weaknesses. It says that the proposed indicators are insufficient to assess actual effectiveness and value for money. The ECA notes that output indicators are often limited to measuring participation and that outcome indicators relied heavily on participants' perceptions, without demonstrating actual improvements in learning outcomes or education systems. The…