The Erasmus programme is an investment in the democratic future of the European project, and in the new 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework the EU is proposing an increased budget for Erasmus+, from 27 billion euros to 41 billion euros, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Roxana Minzatu said on Friday, in a press statement.
Responsible for social rights, skills, quality jobs and training, Roxana Minzatu is in Bucharest for the high-level conference on the future of cohesion policy: „Cohesion 2027+: a driver of long-term development, inclusive economic competitiveness and resilience across Europe.”
„The new multiannual financial framework proposes a higher budget for Erasmus+, from 27 billion euros to 41 billion euros. Erasmus is an investment in the democratic future of the European project, in the generations of citizens and leaders who, through this programme, come to know the European Union directly and then manage to engage with the European project and not drift away from it. Increasing the Erasmus budget is important, but not sufficient for the vision I have put forward and continue to present to European decision-makers: Erasmus for everyone,” Roxana Minzatu explained.
According to her, the Erasmus project deserves significant public attention because it is not only an educational and mobility programme but also an important political instrument for European integration.
„We will truly be able to speak of an Erasmus that gives an entire generation the chance to understand and support the European project when we have the curriculum and sufficient budget so that every young person whether from the region of Moldova, from Bucharest, from Barcelona or from Amsterdam can have at least one Erasmus educational mobility experience at the appropriate age. This is why the Erasmus project deserves strong public attention: it is not only an educational programme but also a very important political tool for European integration,” the Executive Vice-President said.
She added that EU cohesion policy must help not only in reducing disparities but also in supporting companies and entities in the member states.
„Cohesion policy must help not only in reducing gaps, but must support companies institutionally, and help Romania as a regional voice to take part in the whole effort towards competitiveness and security in Europe. We are proposing new funds for competitiveness, and doubling the Horizon Fund for innovation and technology. Cohesion must help entities in beneficiary states to take part in these processes, to access funds and financing, and to develop projects and a vision for Europe, including in the areas of competitiveness and security,” Minzatu added.
The event „Cohesion 2027+: a driver of long-term development, inclusive economic competitiveness and resilience across Europe”, held on Friday in Bucharest, strengthens Romania’s ongoing efforts for a strong future Cohesion Policy that remains the EU’s main long-term structural investment policy, supporting harmonious development and reducing development gaps, the organisers note.
The conference also takes place at a defining moment for the European Union, in the context of political discussions on the post-2027 multiannual financial framework. In this context, the meeting offers an opportunity for officials responsible for implementing cohesion policy and for high-level EU decision-makers to discuss, ahead of decisions, the strategic directions that will shape the 2028-2034 programming period. AGERPRES
