On 26 April 2016 the Erasmus+ coalition first meeting took place in Brussels. Co-organised by the Lifelong Learning Platform and the European Youth Forum this coalition aims to contribute to policy debates related to the current Erasmus+ programme revision as well as the MFF Mid Term Review and the next Generation of EU programmes. Bringing together more than 20 European NGOs working in education, training and youth, the meeting was an occasion to raise our concerns regarding the important role played by civil society in building a fairer and more democratic Europe and in realizing the objectives of the Erasmus+ programme. Among other decisions, the group will work on a joint proposal to solve the “Brussels case” – a problematic situation for Brussels-based European NGOs who have to apply in Belgium to get support for their strategic partnerships (KA2). Read the latest LLLPLatform position “Implementing Erasmus+ better”.

On 28 May 2014 EUCIS-LLL launched a broad public consultation on the new Erasmus+ programme. On 25 June 2014, we received 52 responses from which we based the following report. The results were presented and discussed with EUCIS-LLL members and partners, the European Commission and the EACEA on 30 June 2014. Read the Erasmus+ Survey 2014!

The Erasmus+ programme is a unique funding opportunity and a great step forward to modernise education policies at the local, national and European level. To embrace its full potential, the LLLPlatform believes that the programme could benefit from more clarity, a stronger lifelong learning approach and a fairer budget distribution, in order to have a greater added value. Moreover, policy development and civil society cooperation should be better supported in order to increase its policy impact and relevance. Considered to be one of the success stories of the European construction, the programme and its successor require a bigger investment from EU Member States to broaden its positive impact. We thus strongly call for a set of adjustments on the Erasmus+ programme to improve its efficiency as well as for a stronger and more ambitious programme for 2020 building on the success of its predecessors. Read our position paper.

After the success of its 2014 broad public consultation, the Lifelong Learning Platform launched its 2015 Erasmus+ implementation survey on the 3rd of July. The purpose of this year’s survey was to evaluate how beneficiaries experienced the 2nd round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme. The consultation was closed on the 15th of September after having received 275 answers. This year the survey was published in four languages (English, German, French and Spanish) in order to target the widest audience as possible. The following report presents an exhaustive review of the respondents’ assessment of Erasmus+ Programme implementation in 2015. The beneficiaries particularly appreciate that the objectives and selection criteria of the Programme are relevant, the simplified architecture of the Programme and the use of lump sums. However some figures are striking such as the fact that only 6% of respondents believe that the rules are applied in a harmonised way across National Agencies, that the Programme Guide lacks clarity on important aspects such as the Intellectual Outputs or that the calculation of flat rates could be adjusted. The Lifelong Learning Platform hopes these results will guide decision-makers in finding solutions to improve a programme that is considered for many of our citizens as a success story of the European construction. The results show how beneficiaries of the Programme value the Erasmus+ as a great opportunity to work with their peers’ across Europe! The results were presented at our Launch Event, held during the LLL Week, on 30 November 2015. Read the Erasmus+ Survey Report!

LLLPlatform consultation summary and recommendations- June 2014