Thursday 26 January: Erasmus celebrates 30 years

The news:

On Thursday 26 January, the European Commission will issue its yearly report on Erasmus+, assessing its performances and its progress on reaching the target of 4 million people supported by the programme between 2014 and 2020. This publication coincides with the launch of the campaign marking the 30th anniversary of the programme, which will be celebrated at the European, national and local levels.

The background:

The Erasmus+ programme aims to support the modernisation of Europe's education. Over the past three decades, the programme has benefitted almost 300,000 higher education students per year, allowing young Europeans to study, train, gain work experience, volunteer abroad and develop hard and soft skills outside their home countries.

Over time, Erasmus+ extended the range of its support, now covering traineeships/apprenticeships and many actions in the sport field. Beyond its role of exchange programme, Erasmus+ has therefore, over time, become a powerful tool to bridge the worlds of education and work. Its geographical scope also expanded from 11 countries in 1987, to 33 today.

The current seven year programme (2014-2020) has a budget of €14.7 billion - a 40% increase compared to previous spending levels, reflecting the EU's commitment to invest in Europe's youth.

The event:

The launch event will take place on 26 January 2017 at the Parlamentarium in Brussels from 12pm, in the presence of Erasmus alumni.

Throughout 2017 many events will be organised across Europe to celebrate the 30th anniversary including a flagship event at the European Parliament in June.

More information:

On 26 January 2017, besides the annual report, country-specific fact sheets, video clips, testimonials and infographics will be published.

Sources:

Erasmus+ generation video clip

30 years of Erasmus website

Subscribe to the Erasmus+ newsletter

Join the celebrations by registering an event!

#ErasmusPlus

Erasmus+ Programme guide

Erasmus+ National Agencies

AGENDA/17/119

 

Press contacts:

General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email