Joint Statement from ESN International and ESN UK
On 17 December 2025, the European Union and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement announcing the UK’s re-entry into the Erasmus+ programme. This marks a bilateral commitment to cooperation in the fields of education, training, youth, and sport with European partners, and celebrates shared values of mutual understanding, multicultural learning, and active citizenship.
Under the new agreement, the UK will once again be able to participate fully in the Erasmus+ programme. This renewed partnership is expected to enhance academic innovation, skills development, and economic growth for participants, while hopefully creating a more stable and long-lasting partnership in the programming period of 2028-2034.
As highlighted in the Erasmus+ Mid-term Evaluation, the programme has proven essential in promoting strong and lasting benefits for individuals - from gaining skills to strengthening a sense of belonging. The outcomes of the programme are cost-effective and can create tangible added value for individuals, the scientific community, the economy and society. For ESN International and ESN UK, Erasmus+ is more than an exchange programme; it is about learning to see the world from a different perspective, experiencing different cultures, and becoming more well-rounded and resilient citizens.
UK–EU cooperation in the fields of education and youth reinforces the importance of learning mobility, while safeguarding the programme’s core values of inclusiveness, non-discrimination, and high-quality support services for participants. Beyond the initial discussions on the funding of the Erasmus+ programme, ESN is keen to see this agreement as the first step in a long-term partnership that will ensure the UK's continued participation in Erasmus+ for years to come.
Beneficiaries are expected to be integrated into the scheme by 2027, without additional financial barriers. Despite new challenges, regarding visas and administrative burdens, ESN will continue to support the integration of all participants. Therefore, ESN welcomes the UK's return to the programme and emphasises the importance of ensuring that this renewed association results in equitable access for all, regardless of socio-economic background, through a transparent process, adequate funding, robust support structures (in collaboration with youth organisations), and targeted measures for underrepresented groups.
In addition to Erasmus+, the UK and the EU have been negotiating a youth mobility scheme that would allow 18- to 30-year-olds to work and travel more freely across the territory of both parties. For this new initiative to be sustainable, it is essential to create synergy with actions under the Erasmus+ programme, so that young people can reap the benefits of both schemes without resources being wasted. ESN UK is committed to supporting the continuation of these discussions and to improving youth mobility conditions, especially for participants of international internships and traineeships, enabling them to learn and grow professionally while strengthening educational and cultural ties.
In conclusion, the UK’s return to Erasmus+ signals a renewed commitment to openness, cooperation, shared values and providing young people with more opportunities. ESN will continue to bring the perspective of Erasmus+ Students and Alumni and to work through a multi-stakeholder approach to ensure that this partnership delivers inclusive, accessible, and transformative mobility opportunities for young people across Europe, now and in the years to come.
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