Erasmus programme celebrates 30 years

The Commission launched today celebrations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the start of Erasmus i, one of the most successful programmes of the European Union. The Commission also published the Erasmus+ Annual Report.

The European Commission launched today the campaign marking the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus programme, called Erasmus+ since 2014 because it benefits more people through a wider range of opportunities.

Events will take place throughout 2017 at European, national and local levels to highlight the positive impact of Erasmus both on individuals and society as a whole, and to give all those involved the opportunity to debate how the programme should evolve in the future.

Over the past 30 years, Erasmus+ and its predecessors have supported not only more than 5 million students, apprentices and volunteers, but also staff and youth exchanges, amounting to 9 million people in total.

The current seven year programme (2014-2020) has a budget of €14.7 billion - a 40% increase compared to previous spending levels, reflecting the EU i's commitment to invest in Europe's youth.

The Commission also issued today its yearly report on Erasmus+ which shows that in 2015, Erasmus+ enabled 678,000 Europeans to study, train, work and volunteer abroad, more than ever before. In the same year, the EU invested €2.1 billion in over 19,600 projects involving 69,000 organisations. Results also show that the programme is well on track to meet its target of supporting 4 million people between 2014 and 2020.