Joint Amendments to the Erasmus+ Proposal: 17 organisations call for key improvements

18 February 2026 | From UNICA - From partners - Funding

UNICA has joined other 16 organisations representing Europe’s universities and higher education institutions, student organisations and stakeholders, in proposing a set of amendments to the European Commission’s proposal on the Erasmus+ programme.

The amendments reaffirm the key role of Erasmus+ in developing the European Education Area alongside the Union of Skills, and contributing to the personal, educational and professional development of individuals. It must continue funding mobility and transnational cooperation as its primary mission, with a strong emphasis on quality and inclusiveness. The proposing organisations stand ready to support the co-legislators throughout the negotiations by clarifying our proposals, sharing evidence from practice, and contributing constructively to the final design of the next Erasmus+ programme.

The detailed amendments to the legal text and their rationales are presented in a comprehensive table. These amendments focus on 8 priority areas:

1- The programme’s objectives: Reaffirm support for learning mobility and institutional cooperation across all study fields as a core objective.

2- Budget allocation for the higher education sector: Increase the total budget to at least €60 billion and establish indicative budget allocations across education and training sectors.

3- Committee procedure: Reintroduce the committee procedure as an appropriate framework for member states and observers to contribute to implementation.

4- Erasmus+ scholarships in strategic educational fields: Ensure that Erasmus+ scholarships bring genuine added value to the beneficiaries without diverting resources from core aspects of the programme.

5- Synergies with other EU funding sources: Build more explicit synergies between Erasmus+ and other EU programmes.

6- Third countries associated to the programme: Provide a clear and predictable pathway for the UK and Switzerland to renew their association.

7- International dimension: Reinforce international collaboration by offering more opportunities for mobility, cooperation and policy dialogue that serve the mutual interests of Europe and its partners.

8- Students and staff at risk: Systematically enhance the resilience of Erasmus+ and its capacity to support higher education institutions, students and staff in crisis situations.