Higher education sector calls for restoration of Erasmus+ education budget share

Representatives of the higher education sector have urged the European Parliament to readjust the proposed budget share for education and training in Erasmus+ 2028-2034 to its level under the current programme.

On 02/06/2026, 17 associations representing Europe's universities, higher education institutions, student organisations and other stakeholders published a joint statement reacting to the European Parliament’s draft report on Erasmus+ 2028-2034, released on 18/05/2026. The associations expressed concern that the draft allocates only 73.4% of the programme's total budget to education and training, down from 83% under the current Erasmus+ programme.

"A lower budget, or a weaker share for education and training, would inevitably limit opportunities across the entire programme, reduce access to mobility and undermine the mobility targets set by the member states," they said.

The draft report, written by Polish MEP Andrzej Zdrojewski, called for €47.39 billion for Erasmus+ 2028-2034, an increase of approximately 16% compared with the European Commission’s proposal of July 2025.

"The…