THE EUROPEAN PROGRAMME ERASMUS+: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

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The European Commission, in developing programmes aimed at improving the general conditions of the European countries, wanted to dedicate a specific programme to education, youth and sport. The Erasmus + programme covers all these fields and it will last until December 2020.

BACKGROUND AND DEFINITION

Fighting high levels of unemployment – particularly among young people – is one of the most urgent tasks for European governments. Too many young people leave school prematurely running a high risk of being unemployed and socially marginalised. The same risk threatens many adults with low skills. Technologies are changing the way in which society operates, and there is a need to ensure the best use is made of them. EU businesses need to become more competitive through talent and innovation. Europe needs more cohesive and inclusive societies which allow citizens to play an active role in democratic life. Education, training, youth work and sport are key to promote common European values, foster social integration, enhance intercultural understanding and a sense of belonging to a community, and to prevent violent radicalisation. Erasmus+ is an effective instrument to promote the inclusion of people with disadvantaged backgrounds, including newly arrived migrants. Another challenge relates to the development of social capital among young people, the empowerment of young people and their ability to participate actively in society, in line with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty to “encourage the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe“. The Erasmus+ Programme is designed to support Programme Countries’ efforts to efficiently use the potential of Europe’s talent and social assets in a lifelong learning perspective, linking support to formal, non-formal and informal learning throughout the education, training and youth fields. The Programme also enhances the opportunities for cooperation and mobility with Partner Countries, notably in the fields of higher education and youth. In accordance with one of the new elements introduced in the Lisbon Treaty, Erasmus + also supports activities aiming at developing the European dimension in sport, by promoting cooperation between bodies responsible for sports. The Programme promotes the creation and development of European networks, providing opportunities for cooperation among stakeholders and the exchange and transfer of knowledge and know-how in different areas relating to sport and physical activity. This reinforced cooperation will notably have positive effects in developing the potential of Europe’s human capital by helping reduce the social and economic costs of physical inactivity.

ERASMUS +: OBJECTIVES

As stated by the European Commission, the main aims of the Erasmus + programme are:
In doing so, the overall programme has been divided into different categories based on specific areas of action.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME

As stated before, the programme is divided into 3 main actions; each of them has specific goals to be reached.

KEY ACTION 1 – MOBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS

This Key Action supports:

KEY ACTION 2 – COOPERATION FOR INNOVATION AND EXCHANGE OF GOOD PRACTICES

This Key Action supports:

KEY ACTION 3 – SUPPORT FOR POLICY REFORM

This Key Action supports:

WHO CAN APPLY TO ERASMUS +?

The European programme is opened to two categories: Participants and Participating Organisations:

PARTICIPANTS

As a general rule, participants in Erasmus + projects must be established in a Programme Country. Some Actions, notably in the fields of higher education and youth, are also open to participants from Partner Countries. The specific conditions for participating in an Erasmus + project depend on the type of Action concerned. In general terms:

PARTECIPATING ORGANISATIONS

Erasmus + projects are submitted and managed by participating organisations representing the participants. If a project is selected, the applicant organisation becomes a beneficiary of an Erasmus + grant. Beneficiaries sign a grant agreement or are notified of a grant decision which entitles them to receive financial support for the realisation of their project (grant agreements are not signed with individual participants). Some Actions of the Programme are also open to informal groups of young people. For further information read our Journal.

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