Since the UK left the European Union, there have been many changes in the way UK and European youngsters can benefit from the EU Programmes. The UK has indeed left the Erasmus+ Programme, and as a consequence, the European Solidarity Corps too. The CILL is running a series of events on the future of international projects and youth mobility, following the UK’s withdrawal from the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes, consequence of Brexit.

It is the third event taking place on March 4th. And the main topics will be:

• Youth and youth worker mobility
• Volunteering
• Vocational projects
• eTwinning

The Webinar

The webinar sees four different working groups discussing separately on the topic of their choice. Each group will have a full hour for discussion, with an appointed facilitator and rapporteur.

International Projects and Youth Mobility after BREXIT are being dramatically impacted. The objective will be to agree a list of ideas and action points in relation to each theme: what practical action can we variously take, what function and structure should our network have, and how can we attract more support?

How To Register

To register it is necessary to select previously the topic of your interest, as you will then join into the related working group. You can choose only one topic from the four ones above.

This is an online event, then to register go to the website.

The schedule

The webinar will take place on Thursday, March 4th 2021 at 5pm (CET). The schedule will be as follow:

• 4pm Welcome and opening remarks
• 4.10pm Working (breakout) groups
• 5.10pm Report back from groups
• 5.20pm Open discussion and comments from CILL team
• 5.40pm Conclusions, next steps and short survey
• 5.45pm End

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L'articolo International Projects and Youth Mobility After BREXIT proviene da Youth Networks.

The Erasmus Plus programme is a well-established scheme that provides crucial fundings to support existing relationships to mobility initiatives. Not just mobility in education and training, but also mobility in the field of youth, from Outermost regions. And also Erasmus Mundus and the Erasmus Plus Master Loans (Key Action 1). Other initiatives are those aiming to build cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices (Key Action 2). Plus initiatives to support the policy reform (Key Action 3). The decision to opt out robs youngsters and students of opportunities that are central to academic, personal and professional development.

Under the new deal with the EU, the UK has decided to leave the Erasmus Plus Programme due to BREXIT. It includes also the European Solidarity Corps.

This means that the English and European youngsters, willing to go to the UK for mobility initiatives, will no longer participate in the Erasmus Plus Programme starting from January 2021. The reason given by the UK is that the Erasmus Plus Programme would have been too expensive to face after BREXIT. The existing Erasmus scheme is thought to be worth around £243 millions in income a year to the UK economy.

Despite the UK leaving the Erasmus Plus, UK and other countries beneficiaries can continue to take part in grants already approved until their end date, even if it is after 2020.

The BREXIT deal on Erasmus Plus would effectively blow a hole in the education sector and deprive young people of opportunities, as it facilitates opportunities for young people for whom it otherwise would not be financially viable.

As a replacement to the Erasmus Plus programme, the UK Prime Minister has mentioned the “Turing Scheme“. The Prime Minister says this will give students the opportunities to travel to “the best universities in the world”. Not solely universities based in Europe. Such new scheme seems to identify as a one-way scheme with English participants only. It is also designed only for universities and schools. There is no provision (as far as we know) for non-formal education, youth, sport, vocational training or lifelong learning.

The implications about travelling and visas are not clear so far. In fact there is not a statement by the UK Government nor a guidance by the National Agency on the matter.

Read also

Erasmus+ and Brexit: what is it going to happen after 29 March?

L'articolo BREXIT: UK Leaves the Erasmus Plus Programme proviene da Youth Networks.

The proposal of European Commission

Last week MEPs voted for a set of contingency measures meant to safeguard the teachers, students and any other E+ participant currently abroad. Those were set out in the proposal that the European Commission put forward on 30 January 2019, available here.

Such proposal was issued by EU Parliament and EU Council, in order to prevent the risk that, due to the Brexit:

The current EU-27 and UK Erasmus+ participants would have to interrupt their learning mobility activities. Many students would lose their academic credits and could be obliged to repeat their academic semester or year. This would be a very disruptive impact for students themselves as well as for their sending and hosting institutions.

What will be the fate of the Erasmus+ Programme beneficiaries now?

With the time running up, the final vote of the EU Council secured the ongoing mobilities – and the ones due to start within 30 March, the “date of withdrawal”. Students, learners and people involved in any kind of E+ funded activity will continue to get European funds without any other prejudice. A big relief, considering the uncertainity of the situation.

This applies to beneficiaries of funding awarded before the date of withdrawal. And after that? Many British young people are seriously worried, and not without reason. In case of a no-deal Brexit, infact, the beneficiaries that have not started their mobility yet are still outstanding. As the Guardian reported, they can’t be sure about whether or not they will be able to count non only on scholarships (if Erasmus+ students or learners) or other types of financial support (for volunteering), but also on health insurance – the truth is that, as for now, UK citizens can’t even be sure if their driving licences will still be valid in EU-27, after Brexit.

What if a a deal will not be reached?

Actually, the funding for mobilities starting within 30 March were already provided for in the general EU budget. The issue at stake is rather that the Brexit will happen while the seven-year-period 2014/2020 of Erasmus+ Programme is still ongoing: the challenge, in a no-deal scenario, is to secure the mobilities until 2020.

The base of the proposal is the EU Regulation No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, that governs the Erasmus+ programme for the above-mentioned period. Basically, the contigency measures adopted these last days fall under the obligations undertaken by the UK according to the general EU budget.

As for the rest, a technical note released by the UK government just states that:

There are a range of options for the UK’s continued participation in Erasmus+ and ESC, including programme country status, partner country status or another arrangement ². Partner country access to Erasmus+ varies between different regional groups ³.

Some solutions to continue to take part in the Erasmus+ Programme after 2020 are currently under consideration. They can be either through an arrangement between the UK and the EU, so to make the UK partner country of the EU-27, or with an implementation of a series of bilateral agreements between the UK and the member states.

L'articolo Erasmus+ and Brexit: what is it going to happen after 29 March? proviene da Youth Networks.