Commission plans stronger strategic role for Erasmus+ international dimension
A policy officer of the European Commission has said that the international dimension of Erasmus+ would be further harnessed to serve the European Union’s strategic priorities in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Claire Herrmann, policy officer in the unit responsible for international cooperation in the European Commission directorate-general for education and culture (DG EAC), said: "We can expect, in the future programme, a much greater alignment of Erasmus+ projects with the political priorities set at the highest level of the European Commission."
She spoke on 25/06/2026 at "Les Journées Erasmus+ de l’Enseignement Supérieur" organised by the French Agence Erasmus+.
The European Union’s foreign policy is organised around three major strategies defined in collaboration with its international partners. The first is the Global Gateway strategy, which involves massive investment in various areas of interest identified jointly by the European Union and its partner countries (sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia). The second is the Pact for the Mediterranean, developed with countries on both sides of the Mediterranean. Finally, the third is the enlargement policy, which concerns countries applying for membership of the European Union.
Herrmann said there was a priority given to EU enlargement. The Erasmus+ programme will support this process by preparing future Member States. These countries will need to gradually adopt the principles of the Bologna Process, the European Higher Education Area and the Skills Union.
She said that, until now, the influence of the Global Gateway strategy on Erasmus+ has remained relatively limited. However, for the next programme, she said: "If we wish to continue receiving funding from Global Gateway, we will need to align ourselves much more closely with its priorities: clean energy, digitalisation, sustainable transport and health."
She added: "Higher education, research and innovation are no longer a stand-alone objective, but a cross-cutting lever, an enabler, serving these priorities."
Actions for international dimension of the future Erasmus+ programme
Herrmann also outlined the main dimensions being considered for the international dimension of the future Erasmus+ programme:
- For the enlargement and eastern neighbourhood countries, the aim is to gradually bring them into line with the functioning and internal policies of Erasmus+, by expanding opportunities in higher education, vocational training, youth and schools.
- For the southern neighbourhood and the countries covered by Global Gateway, the approach would be based on integrated measures combining higher education, vocational training, youth and sport, with a stronger alignment with the priorities of Global Gateway.
- Finally, the Commission wishes to develop partnerships with high-income countries (such as North America, Japan and New Zealand), but this ambition will depend on the availability of funding, as Global Europe’s funding is primarily earmarked for low- and middle-income countries.
Budget of Erasmus through Global Europe
For the period 2021-2027, the budget allocated to Erasmus+ is drawn from two of these main areas:
- Heading 2, which covers internal policies and accounts for the bulk of the Erasmus+ budget;
- Heading 6, which covers external policies and funds the European Union’s relations with neighbouring countries and the rest of the world.
This second funding allocation amounts to €2.2 billion. This is more commonly referred to as the international dimension of the Erasmus+ programme and the financial instrument underpinning this international dimension is called Global Europe.
Herrmann said: "The two legal bases for Erasmus+ and Global Europe cross-reference each other for 2028-2034. So we can be sure that there will be an international dimension. And the Commission’s proposal for Global Europe does, after all, provide for an increase in the budget."
Herrmann stated that, however, these are merely proposals. She said that negotiations were continuing in the Council and the European Parliament. Funding for the international dimension of Erasmus+ has been confirmed in principle, but the amount remains to be determined.
Changes in the Erasmus Mundus joint master’s programmes
Herrmann also outlined the planned changes to the Erasmus Mundus joint master’s programmes.
Erasmus Mundus scholarships would be funded entirely from external cooperation appropriations in order to attract international talent in line with the Union of Skills and Global Gateway priorities. The programmes would remain open to students from non-associated countries at the Master’s level, with mobility in at least two European countries.
Conversely, funding for the establishment and running of joint degree programmes would be transferred to intra-European appropriations (Heading 2). This change would make it possible to support a greater number of joint Master’s programmes, broaden the participation of European universities and better distinguish funding for study programmes from that for scholarships.
Finally, the Commission is also considering combining grants for non-European and European students within the same consortia and, possibly, involving institutions from partner countries not participating in Erasmus+.
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