According to senior diplomat Nick Leake, the UK withdrew from the European Union’s (EU) Erasmus+ programme after Brexit because British students prticipated in the programme less than other nationalities due to limited proficiency in language acquisition, which meant that London would have to pay almost 300 million euros more per year than it would receive, on Wednesday, the 3rd of April, reports Politico.
Youth groups on both sides are urging the UK to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme, stressing that the UK’s exit has had a “devastating” impact on study and travel opportunities for young people.
At a European Economic and Social Committee meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, UK diplomat Nick Leake explained that the UK did not join the programme because “there is an imbalance between our inability to manage languages very well and therefore take advantage of mobility opportunities abroad and benefit those who want to come to the UK”.
He cited financial concerns, stating that the terms offered during Brexit negotiations would have cost the UK two billion euros more than received over seven years, around 300 million euros annually.
“The interests of the UK taxpayer are why we decided not to participate in Erasmus+,”
he added.
At a meeting of the organisation’s External Relations Section, delegates unanimously approved a recommendation urging the European Commission to intensify negotiations with the UK on its full reintegration into Erasmus+.
This step was strongly supported by the European Youth Forum, the UK Youth Council and various youth organisations across the UK and the EU.
Maurizio Cuttin of the UK Youth Council stressed that the UK’s withdrawal from the programme after Brexit “has been a devastating loss of exchange and educational opportunities for young people on both sides” and stressed
the importance of the UK government reembracing Erasmus+ for the youth’s future prosperity.
María Rodríguez Alcázar, President of the European Youth Forum, expressed her confidence that the recommendations would be seriously considered by those responsible on both sides.
Jan Hendrik Dopheide, a senior EU official, referred to the ongoing discussions with Member States on promoting youth mobility, noting that further facilitation could be sought in the future.
After leaving Erasmus, the UK introduced its Turing study abroad programme. However, a recent analysis found that Turing failed to meet its targets, with just over 20 000 participants in the 2021/22 academic year compared to the 35 000 expected. Almost 80% of participating universities and colleges faced problems with the new application process.
The forthcoming general election in the UK is expected to see a change of government, currently led by the opposition Labour Party. Although Labour has not formally pledged to return to Erasmus, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has argued for the UK’s renewed participation in the programme.
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