On Wednesday, 21 October, the European Parliament debated the future of the Erasmus+ programme, with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voicing strong support for increasing its funding. On Thursday, 22 October, by a significant majority, the European Parliament adopted its mandate for the next stage of the negotiations for Erasmus+ 2028-2034, including a €47.39 billion budget with a 4.1% share earmarked for sport.

In the plenary debate, the rapporteur Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP, PL) and further MEPs condemned the cuts to the Erasmus+ programme proposed by the Irish Presidency of the Council, echoing Parliament’s debate earlier that day, which criticised the recent European Council meeting for stalling the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations and rejected the Irish Presidency’s negotiating box. Erasmus+ is widely valued by the European Parliament for its direct impact, particularly on young Europeans.

Sport was a key theme in the discussions surrounding the programme. At a press conference on Tuesday, the rapporteur for the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) highlighted the role of sport in Erasmus+, emphasising the funding directed towards grassroots and amateur sport and the contribution of sport-related NGOs. The EOC EU Office had actively engaged with the rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs and welcomes the strong negotiating mandate adopted.