SP(2019)393

COM(2019)0065

PURPOSE: to ensure the continuation of Erasmus+ activities in the event of Brexit without a withdrawal agreement.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/499 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down provisions for the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme established by Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013, in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union.

CONTENT: the Regulation lays down emergency measures for the Erasmus + programme in the event of Brexit without a withdrawal agreement. It aims to enable people participating in the Erasmus+ programme to continue their exchange programme without interruption, without losing credits and with continued financial support.

The Regulation thus aims to ensure that:

- the ongoing mobility activities for education and training purposes under the Erasmus+ programme having started no later than the date on which the Treaties cease to apply in the United Kingdom are not disrupted;

- students and trainees staying abroad when the United Kingdom withdraws from the United Kingdom may complete their studies and continue to receive the corresponding funding or scholarships.

For the purposes of the continuation of financing of ongoing learning mobility activities from the Union budget, the Commission and the United Kingdom shall agree to allow the exercise of controls and audits of the respective activities. If the necessary controls and audits cannot be carried out, this shall be considered a serious deficiency in the management and control system.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 28.3.2019. The Regulation shall apply from the day following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 50(3) of the TEU.

Regulation 2019/499
OJ L 085I 27.03.2019, p. 0032

00055/2019/LEX

COM(2019)0065

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted by 651 votes to 9, with 10 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down provisions for the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“United Kingdom”) from the European Union.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure without amending the Commission proposal.

The proposal sets out contingency measures for the Erasmus+ programme in the event of a no-deal Brexit (i.e. the UK leaving the Union on 29 March 2019 without a withdrawal agreement in place).

It aims to enable people participating in the Erasmus+ programme to continue their exchange programme without interruption, without losing credits and with continued financial support.

To allow the ongoing mobility activities to continue to be financed from the Union budget, the Commission and the United Kingdom should agree to allow controls and audits of their respective activities to be carried out. The inability to carry out the necessary controls and audits would be considered a serious deficiency in the management and control system.

The Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and should apply from the day following the day on which the Treaties cease to apply in the United Kingdom, unless a withdrawal agreement with the United Kingdom has entered into force on that date.

Parliament has introduced an amendment to clarify that, in view of the urgency of the procedure, it was considered appropriate to provide for an exception to the eight-week period referred to in Article 4 of Protocol No 1 on the role of national parliaments in the European Union, annexed to the TEU, to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community.

T8-0167/2019

COM(2019)0065

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the report by Bogdan Andrzej ZDROJEWSKI (EPP, PL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down provisions for the continuation of ongoing learning mobility activities under the Erasmus+ programme in the context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“United Kingdom”) from the European Union.

The Commission's proposal sets out contingency measures for the Erasmus+ programme in the event of a no-deal Brexit (i.e. the UK leaving the Union on 29 March 2019 without a withdrawal agreement in place).

It aims to enable people participating in the Erasmus+ programme to continue their exchange programme without interruption, without losing credits and with continued financial support.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament adopt its position at first reading without amending the text of the Commission proposal. However, it has introduced an amendment to clarify that, in view of the urgency of the procedure, it seemed appropriate to provide for an exception to the eight-week period granted to national parliaments to respond to legislative proposals, in accordance with Article 4 of Protocol No 1 to the EU Treaty, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community.

A8-0082/2019

CES0768/2019

PE634.693

PURPOSE: to protect the rights of Erasmus+ participants in the event of Brexit without a withdrawal agreement.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: a withdrawal agreement was concluded between the Union and the United Kingdom and endorsed by the European Council (Article 50) on 25 November 2018. However, its ratification in the United Kingdom is uncertain. This proposal is part of a package of emergency measures proposed by the Commission to deal with a possible withdrawal from the European Union without the United Kingdom's agreement.

The Erasmus+ programme supports actions in the fields of education and training, youth and sport. Every year, it provides nearly 800 000 people the opportunity to benefit from learning or training abroad. Mobility activities can last up to 12 months.

The Commission estimates that by the time the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland withdraws from the European Union, there will be almost 14 000 learners from EU-27 post-Brexit (students and trainees in higher education and vocational education and training, young learners, educational staff) in the United Kingdom and some 7 000 learners from the United Kingdom within EU-27 post-Brexit.

In the absence of an agreement, the current participants would not be able to complete their Erasmus+ semester, and may no longer benefit from scholarships. Many students would lose their university credits and be forced to repeat their semester or academic year, which would have a disruptive effect both on the students themselves and on their home and host institutions.

Urgent measures are needed to avoid disruption of mobility activities for education and training purposes under Erasmus+ in which the United Kingdom participates at the time of its withdrawal from the European Union.

CONTENT: the proposed Regulation ensures that, in the absence of a withdrawal agreement, young people from the European Union and the United Kingdom participating in the Erasmus+ programme as of 30 March 2019 shall be able to complete their stay without interruption, complete their studies and continue to receive the corresponding funding or grants.

For the purposes of the continuation of financing of ongoing learning mobility activities from the Union budget, the Commission and the United Kingdom should agree to allow the exercise of controls and audits of the respective activities. If the necessary controls and audits cannot be carried out, this should be considered a serious deficiency in the management and control system.

This Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should apply from the date following that on which the Treaties cease to apply to and in the United Kingdom unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the United Kingdom has entered into force by that date.

COM(2019)0065
EUR-Lex