Young people and teachers
(Brussels) Erasmus+, the programme promoting the mobility of learners and teachers in Europe, is increasingly popular. The 2016 Erasmus+ report “confirms the key role played by the programme in building a more resilient Europe united around common European values”. According to the report, with a 7.5% increase in the Erasmus+ budget compared to the previous year, the EU “invested a record €2.27 billion to support 725,000 Europeans with mobility grants to study, train, teach, work or volunteer abroad”. Since 2014, when the current programme started (the origins of the Erasmus programme date back to the 80s and these days mark the end of the celebrations for its 30th anniversary), more than 2 million people have benefited from it. In 2016, the programme invested in 21,000 projects, with the participation of 79,000 organisations active in the areas of education, training and youth. Commissioner for Education and Youth, Tibor Navracsics, said: “I am proud to see how the programme has acted as a driver for unity in Europe, contributing to strengthening the resilience of individuals and our society. Erasmus+ mobility develops skills and competences and reinforces a European identity that complements and enriches national and regional identities”.
