Parliament backs bigger Erasmus+ budget for 2028–2034
Nov 4, 2026
Category: EU International Students News Policy UK Youth Mobility
The European Parliament wants €47.39 billion for Erasmus+ from 2028 to 2034, well above the €40.8 billion proposed by the European Commission. MEPs adopted their negotiating mandate on the Erasmus+ budget on 22 October 2026, by a vote of 454 to 34, with 93 abstentions.
The gap between the two figures is €6.59 billion in current prices. Parliament says its aim is to open the programme to young people from a wider mix of economic, social and geographical backgrounds.
The vote came a day after the plenary debate on 21 October, when rapporteur Bogdan Zdrojewski also held a press conference. Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) is handling the file.
Slicing up €47.39bn
MEPs want clear earmarks for each policy field in the programme. Education and learning would take the largest share, at 74.6% of the total programme budget.
Youth and volunteering would receive 15%. Sport would get 4.1%.
Together, those three fields would account for 93.7% of the money. The mandate sets the shares as percentages of the programme budget, so their cash value would move with the final total.
Grants that follow rent
The change students may notice first concerns mobility grants. Parliament wants to adapt them to differences in living costs, housing, and inflation between host countries, regions, and cities.
Under the proposal, grant levels could vary depending on where a participant goes. A semester in a high-cost city would be funded on different terms from one in a cheaper location.
MEPs also want grants to cover the higher expenses of people travelling to or from distant locations. Long journeys would no longer fall entirely on the participant’s own budget.
Funding levels would be updated periodically to match real costs. That would apply to the programme as a whole, not only to individual grants.
Doors swing wider
Parliament wants to add new profiles to Erasmus+ and create new categories within existing groups. Athletes active in grassroots sport are on the list.
So are learners, teachers and trainers in vocational education and training (VET). MEPs also want the programme linked to the upcoming EU teachers and trainers agenda.
Two existing schemes would move under the Erasmus+ umbrella. One is the European Solidarity Corps, with its volunteering and solidarity activities.
The other is the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps, which covers aid in non-EU countries. Parliament says bringing both into Erasmus+ would strengthen community and civic participation.
Bridges beyond the bloc
MEPs want Erasmus+ to work more closely with other EU funds. They name the European Competitiveness Fund, Horizon Europe, Global Europe, and the National and Regional Partnership funds.
Scholarships in strategic areas form part of the plan. These would be supported through synergies and paid for by other EU programmes, instead of drawing on the Erasmus+ pot alone.
The mandate also looks outward. MEPs back faster access for candidate countries, without requiring them to complete the association procedure first.
Parliament also wants stronger ties with the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Both countries sit outside the EU.
Rapporteur’s big pitch
Zdrojewski, a Polish MEP from the European People’s Party (EPP), steered the file through Parliament. He presented the position as a way to strengthen the programme and equip it for the EU’s strategic challenges.
According to Zdrojewski, Parliament’s proposals “almost double its funding”. He also welcomed the United Kingdom’s return.
“Erasmus+ is one of the EU’s greatest success stories,” the rapporteur declared. He argued that the programme deserves the investment it needs to keep building on its results.
His case rests on the programme’s track record. The vote gave him a wide margin, with 454 MEPs in favour and 34 against.
Purse strings attached
Erasmus+ does not stand alone. The regulation is part of the EU’s 2028–2034 long-term budget package, known as the multiannual financial framework (MFF).
The Commission put forward its proposal for the new Erasmus+ regulation on 16 July 2025. In June 2026, a Parliament policy department briefing assessed that legislative proposal.
Parliament wants the long-term budget to remain an investment tool that supports citizens, regions and businesses. It also wants the MFF to deliver added value beyond what national budgets can provide.
To pay for that, MEPs propose increasing the size of the draft MFF. They also insist on new revenue sources to fund it.
Those demands go beyond Erasmus+. They cover the EU’s entire spending plan for the next seven years.
Capitals make the next move
Parliament cannot open talks yet. Negotiations with EU governments can begin only once member states adopt their full mandate, including overall funding levels for the long-term budget.
That sequence means the Erasmus+ figure is likely to be settled alongside the wider MFF talks. The overall budget size and the question of new revenue sources remain unresolved.
The total, the fixed earmarks and faster access for candidate countries are all open points for negotiation with member states. Parliament’s adopted text sets out the detailed terms MEPs will take into those talks.