Strasbourg: The European Parliament adopted its negotiating mandate for the Erasmus+ budget for 2028 to 2034 in October 2026 and asked for €47.39 billion in current prices. MEPs backed the position by 454 votes to 34, with 93 abstentions. The Commission proposed €40.8 billion in July 2025, so Parliament wants about €6.6 billion more.

Rapporteur Bogdan Zdrojewski, a Polish member of the EPP group, said the proposals “almost double” the funding of the programme, and he welcomed the return of the United Kingdom. The text fixes shares of the Erasmus+ budget at 74.6% for education and learning, 15% for youth and volunteering and 4.1% for sport. The Commission proposed no such split, which is why this part of the mandate matters so much to schools, youth groups and sports clubs.

Money is only one part of the package. Parliament wants mobility grants that reflect living costs, housing prices and inflation in each host location, with extra support for people who travel long distances. It also asks for periodic updates of funding levels so that the Erasmus+ budget keeps pace with real costs. The Culture and Education Committee, which approved the report by 24 votes to 1 on 29 September, added that at least 20% of participants should come from groups with fewer opportunities.

The mandate also redraws the structure of the programme. MEPs want the European Solidarity Corps and the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps merged into Erasmus+, and they want grassroots athletes, vocational teachers and trainers to join the mobility scheme. Candidate countries would gain faster participation without completing the association procedure, and Parliament calls for stronger ties with the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Auditors urge caution on the numbers. The European Court of Auditors says the Commission proposal already means a 49% increase at current prices, or 30% at 2025 prices, without quantitative backing. A study for the Culture and Education Committee also criticised the removal of fixed allocations. These points give governments arguments when they set their own position on the Erasmus+ budget.

Timing now depends on member states. Parliament can start talks only after governments agree their full mandate, including overall funding levels in the 2028-2034 long-term EU budget. The new regulation would apply from 1 January 2028 and replace the two existing regulations for Erasmus+ and the Solidarity Corps. The Parliament press release of 23 October lists the full demands, and the Parliament press room carries the plenary coverage.

Students, universities, youth organisations and sports clubs now wait for the Council. Whether the Erasmus+ budget ever reaches €47.39 billion will depend on the wider fight over the next EU budget, and Parliament has set a high opening bid for that negotiation.