Erasmus+ in 2016: another record year
Building a more resilient Europe united around common European values
As the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Erasmus come to an end today, the European Commission i has published the Erasmus+ Annual Report 2016, which covers the third year of Erasmus+ i, one of the European Union's most successful programmes.
With a 7.5% increase in the Erasmus+ budget compared to the previous year, the EU i invested a record €2.27 billion to support 725,000 Europeans with mobility grants to study, train, teach, work or volunteer abroad. This brings the total to more than €2 million since 2014.
The report demonstrates that Erasmus+ is well on track to meet its target of supporting 3.7% of young people in the EU between 2014 and 2020. It also shows that the programme has the potential to contribute to making mobility while learning a norm - a goal set out by the Commission in its Communication on "Strengthening European Identity through education and culture" discussed by the EU leaders at their Working Lunch in Gothenburg on 17 November.
In the 2015/2016 academic year, Erasmus+ enabled higher education institutions to send and receive 330,000 students and staff, including 26,000 to and from partner countries.
The report published today also shows how Erasmus+ contributed to respond to wider social challenges in 2016. This includes actions to promote social inclusion and ensure that young people acquire social, civic and intercultural competences and learn to think critically.
In Gothenburg, President Juncker i invited the EU leaders to double the number of young people in the EU participating in Erasmus+ by 2025, which will require a budget of €29.4 billion for the period 2021-2027. During their meeting, the EU leaders agreed to step up mobility and exchanges, including through a substantially strengthened, inclusive and extended Erasmus+ programme for all categories of learners.
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