Ensuring the continuation of Erasmus+ activities in the event of no-deal Brexit: Council approves contingency measures

Source: Council of the European Union (Council) i, published on Tuesday, March 19 2019.

The European Union is taking measures to avoid the disruption of Erasmus+ existing programmes involving the United Kingdom at the time of its withdrawal from the European Union. Today, the Council adopted a regulation on the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of Brexit.

We are making sure that young people from EU-27 and the UK will be able to complete their studies after Brexit. This regulation will guarantee that the ongoing learning activities in which they are involved will continue to be eligible for grants.

Ecaterina Andronescu, Minister of National Education of Romania

The regulation aims to ensure that:

  • ongoing learning mobility activities under Erasmus+ programme which have started at the latest on the date on which the Treaties cease to apply to the UK will not be disrupted;
  • Erasmus+ participants from EU-27 and the UK will not lose their academic credits and will not be obliged to repeat their academic semester or year.

It is estimated that at the end of March 2019 there will be almost 14 000 EU-27 learners in the UK and around 7 000 UK learners in EU-27 under Erasmus+.

Background

The European Parliament voted on the proposal on 13 March. The regulation will enter into force only if the UK leaves the Union with no withdrawal agreement in place. It shall apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom.

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