Council Greenlights Erasmus+ 2028-2034 Mandate, EUR 40.8 Billion

EU education ministers approved on Monday 11 May 2026 a partial negotiating mandate on the Erasmus+ regulation for 2028-2034, the EU’s flagship programme for education, training, youth and sport. The mandate clears the Council to open trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament on the regulation that will succeed the current 2021-2027 cycle.

EUR 40.8 billion and a merger with the ESC

The Commission’s proposal, published on 16 July 2025 as part of the wider package for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, sets out an indicative budget of EUR 40.8 billion in current prices (EUR 36.2 billion in 2025 prices). It merges two existing programmes — Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), including the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps — under a single regulation. The programme is structured around two pillars: learning opportunities for all, and capacity building support.

Why “partial”

The Council’s mandate is described as partial because it excludes financial and horizontal issues, which are being negotiated separately as part of the broader MFF 2028-2034 talks. The final programme budget will therefore depend on the eventual MFF agreement, on which the Cypriot Presidency is continuing the work begun under the Danish Presidency’s first negotiating box tabled in December 2025.

Reinstated programme committee

The Council has updated the governance model of the Erasmus+ programme to strengthen Member States’ powers of scrutiny. In particular, it has reinstated the programme committee that exists under the current Erasmus+ programme, giving Member States greater control in governance. It has also introduced two separate categories of work programme: a “new action work programme” for new actions under direct management proposed by the Commission, and a “regular work programme” for actions that continue to receive financing after their initial implementation.

Youth, calls for a fivefold increase

The European Students’ Union and several youth networks have argued the proposed budget envelope falls short of the EU’s mobility targets and have called for a fivefold increase in funding. They also note that the proposal — unlike the current Erasmus+ Regulation, which earmarks 10.3% of the budget for the youth field — eliminates the minimum funding floor for youth work. The European Committee of the Regions is still drafting its opinion on the file.

UK association and the next steps

The UK association to the current Erasmus+ programme is for the 2027/2028 academic year and will be formalised under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Continued UK association for 2028 and beyond will need to be agreed at a later date. The UK government has said it will review data on the first year of association before deciding. Trilogue talks between Council and Parliament on the 2028-2034 regulation can now begin in earnest, with the ambition of reaching agreement before end-2026 so that legislative acts can be adopted in 2027 and funding flows to beneficiaries from January 2028.