In July 2025, the European Commission presented its proposal for the future Erasmus+ Regulation within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). In the upcoming negotiations on the next MFF, it is essential to:

The mobility opportunities funded by the programme in other European countries are of great importance to employers. High-quality international learning experiences strengthen skills – language proficiency, flexibility, independence. They are indispensable in a globalised labour market and make a significant contribution to securing skilled workers.

Individual learning mobility must be at the heart of programme design so that Erasmus+ can fully realise its potential. This should be enshrined in the corresponding Erasmus+ Regulation. Learning stays abroad strengthen intercultural skills and prepare young people for international labour markets. They are personally formative and professionally motivating. In vocational education and training in particular, they enhance the attractiveness of apprenticeships.

The next programme generation must provide adequate funding for Erasmus+, especially for individual learning stays abroad. The overall budget must be aligned with the objectives of the individual programmes and calculated realistically. Currently, Erasmus+ reaches 15% of young people in the EU and is budgeted at €26.2 billion (programme period 2021–2027). If, as stated in the proposal, an international “learning opportunity for all” is pursued, this would, according to the Draghi Report, require a fivefold increase in the current budget. Given the political framework conditions in which the MFF negotiations take place, such an increase is not feasible. The plans to raise the current budget from €26.2 billion to €40.8 billion represent a success for the programme.

Binding minimum budgets are needed – particularly for vocational education and training – to financially secure the strategic core objective of learning mobility. Individual learning mobility demonstrably creates added value – also for companies. However, the Commission’s proposal does not provide for any minimum allocation of funds for specific objectives and educational sectors.

Erasmus+ does not only fund individual stays abroad. The European Commission also uses resources to finance its own skills initiatives (primarily for implementing the Union of Skills).

Targeted support for companies – especially SMEs – is necessary to enable even more businesses to offer their trainees high-quality stays abroad in the future. This includes low-threshold advisory services, simplified application procedures (digital and user-friendly), and practical guidance during implementation.