UK rejoining Erasmus scheme shows "education as a special value" notes MEP

The agreement between the European Commission and the United Kingdom on Britain’s return to the Erasmus exchange programme from 2027 has been warmly welcomed by politicians on both sides of the continent.

It follows the UK government’s announcement that it planned to rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme for the first time since Brexit.

Young people in Britain will be able to study or gain work experience in the highly sought-after educational exchange programme.

It is estimated that about 16,000 European students went to the UK as part of  the scheme in 2019/2020, as well as an additional 6,000 trainees.  Figures show that about 10,000 UK students and 6,500 trainees travelled to Europe from the UK to study during this  same period.

The Erasmus scheme was launched in 1987, initially as a university exchange programme. Over time it expanded and now includes work and training placements. However, since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU young people in the UK have been unable to access it.

Speaking exclusively to this site, David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, said, "Five years after the entry into force of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the announced re-association of the United Kingdom with Erasmus Plus from 2027 is very welcome news.”

The deputy added, “Prior to this, the number of European students in the United Kingdom had fallen by well over half, with a similar picture emerging for British students in the European Union. This negotiating outcome therefore represents an important first step towards long-term cooperation in science, education and research, from which young people in both Europe and the United Kingdom will benefit. It is now essential that we build on this success for the period from 2028 to 2034."

Former UK Liberal MEP Andrew Duff added, “This is very welcome. The EU has done well to secure this deal, benefiting all European youth. One small wound of the Brexit disaster is repaired.”

Pat Cox, a former president of the EU parliament, commented, "I welcome the prospect of young Britons rejoining the Erasmus programme."

The Irishman added, "Their exclusion was a consequence of a leave vote driven by an older demographic. Their re-entry opens the door again to what is their natural geographic and educational hinterland."

Denis MacShane, a former Europe Minister in the UK, said, “This is a very strong signal that the decade of Brexit isolation from Europe under PMs like Boris Johnson and Liz Truss is over. Erasmus is one of the best post-war European inventions allowing students to come together from different European nations.

“As usual  there are cheese paring bean counters in Whitehall and the anti-European parties like Reform and the Conservatives who oppose rejoining Erasmus on cost grounds, but it is a very small investment with a big return in building a new generation in Britain and on the continent that can overcome nationalist divisions,” added the former Labour cabinet minister.

The decision has also been greeted by the centre-right EPP, the biggest group in the EU parliament. Bogdan Zdrojewski MEP, its negotiator on the Erasmus programme, said, “The renewed participation will allow students in the UK to once again spend up to a year studying in Europe as part of their degree programmes without paying additional tuition fees. European students will likewise be able to study in the UK, strengthening academic mobility and educational cooperation across Europe.

“This is very good news ahead of Christmas. After Brexit, numerous efforts were made to maintain the United Kingdom’s participation in Erasmus+. Unfortunately, these efforts were followed by an interruption, which was particularly painful for the younger generation,” said Zdrojewski.

The MEP noted, “Today, both sides welcome with satisfaction and delight the opportunity to return to an open, education-focused Europe with the participation of the United Kingdom. This development sends a very important signal at an extremely difficult time, demonstrating that countries across the continent recognise cooperation in education as a special value,” he added.