The United Kingdom prepares to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme, marking a step forward in rapprochement with the European Union after Brexit
Young Europeans will be able to return to study in British schools and vice versa: the United Kingdom is preparing to enter the Erasmus+ program again starting from 2027, with a contribution of 570 million pounds.
Relations between London and Brussels
The agreement, announced today, is but one element of the broader reboot of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union wanted by the Starmer government. In addition to Erasmus, the objectives of London and Brussels also include the desire to launch a youth mobility program to allow boys and girls between the ages of 18 and 30 to travel and work in their respective countries with fewer constraints.
The return of the Erasmus+ programme
The Labor Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, had already promised young English people that he would increase their opportunities to work and study on EU soil. Last May, the minister responsible for British relations with the EU, Nick Thomas-Symonds, revealed to the Financial Times that he was in favor of the UK returning to the exchange programme, as long as there were “sensible proposals” from Brussels. The negotiations, which continued until Tuesday evening, were mainly aimed at the UK’s financial contribution to the programme.
In the joint statement by Nick Thomas-Symonds and the European Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, we read that the return “of the United Kingdom to Erasmus+ in 2027 will offer significant opportunities in the fields of education, training, sport and youth for the citizens of the United Kingdom and the European Union, in particular for the younger generations”. He continues: «The European Commission and the United Kingdom look forward to these opportunities becoming available. They are satisfied that the specific terms of this partnership, including the agreed financial terms, represent a fair balance between the UK’s contributions and the benefits offered by the program and pave the way for the UK’s participation in the program in 2027.”
The British government has therefore announced that up to 100,000 people of all ages will be able to benefit from the program in the first year. For the first time since Brexit, British students will still have the opportunity to study at European universities for a period of up to 12 months without paying additional fees. Likewise, British universities will welcome European students to their universities under the same conditions.
Abandonment in 2020
The British abandonment of the Erasmus+ program dates back to 2020, when the British Prime Minister was Boris Johnson. According to the former prime minister, Erasmus had little reason to continue given that the country contributed “significantly more” than it received. It is true that, looking at the data from 2010 to 2018, this trend was confirmed: the United Kingdom had received more Erasmus students than it had sent to other EU countries. And between 2015 and 2019, the UK had contributed £1.17 billion.
