EP CULT adopts Erasmus+ 2028-2034 report after "controversial" discussions

The European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) has adopted its report on Erasmus+ 2028-2034, following ‘controversial’ discussions, particularly regarding the participation of third countries and strategic scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

"The subject of Erasmus+ scholarships in strategic fields, like STEM, was a bit controversial (...) It’s an interesting proposal, but a very expensive one. We do not want to fund these grants to the detriment of the traditional grants we have under Erasmus+," said Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, a centre-right Polish MEP, after the adoption of his report on the next Erasmus+ programme in the CULT Committee on 29/09/2026.

He added: "We would therefore say the scholarships could be supported by the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) or Horizon Europe."

These scholarships are new schemes proposed by the European Commission to boost Europe’s competitiveness in key technology sectors and make international mobility more accessible. In May, the Cypriot Presidency proposed a compromise that…