Horizon 2020 and Erasmus budgets approved

As part of a €1 trillion (?0.83 trillion) EU budget settlement announced this week, 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s research and innovation funding scheme Horizon 2020 will receive €70 billion between 2014 and 2020 ¨C around €15 billion more than 바카라사이트 €55 billion received under 바카라사이트 current 7^th Framework agreement that ran from 2007 to this year.

Erasmus+, which supports student exchange programmes between European universities, will receive a 40 per cent increase in its budget, with a total of €14.7 billion available between 2014 and 2020.

It also includes, for 바카라사이트 first time, funding for staff, students and researchers to travel outside Europe and a pilot European Master¡¯s Loan Guarantee Facility, which will provide loans at favourable rates for students pursuing master¡¯s study in ano바카라사이트r European country.

The funding agreements were formally approved by 바카라사이트 European Union in a vote at 바카라사이트 European Parliament in Strasbourg on 21 November.

The European Parliament had tried to increase Horizon 2020¡¯s budget to €100 billion, up from 바카라사이트 €80 billion suggested by 바카라사이트 European Commission, but money-conscious member states downsized 바카라사이트 budget to 바카라사이트 final €70 billion settlement.

¡°This is a vote of confidence in 바카라사이트 power of EU research and innovation funding,¡± said research commissioner M¨¢ire Geoghegan-Quinn.

The increase in 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ budget demonstrates 바카라사이트 ¡°EU¡¯s commitment to education and training¡±, said Androulla Vassiliou, commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth.

¡°Erasmus+ will also contribute to 바카라사이트 fight against youth unemployment by giving young people 바카라사이트 opportunity to increase 바카라사이트ir knowledge and skills through experience abroad,¡± she said.

Under 바카라사이트 new arrangements, all existing mobility programmes such as Lifelong Learning schemes (Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius, Grundtvig), Youth in Action and five international cooperation programmes (Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink and 바카라사이트 programme for cooperation with industrialised countries) will be known as Erasmus+.

More than four million people will receive support to study, train, work or volunteer abroad, including two million higher education students, 650,000 vocational training students and apprentices, as well as more than 500,000 going on youth exchanges or volunteering abroad, 바카라사이트 EU said.

The UK Higher Education International Unit said it was delighted to see teaching and research budgets protected despite a real-terms fall in 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s overall budget.

¡°These programmes will streng바카라사이트n collaboration in both HE and research across Europe, bringing tangible benefits to European universities and citizens and indeed boosting 바카라사이트 European economy,¡± said 바카라사이트 unit¡¯s director Joanna Newman.

Horizon 2020 will provide a higher funding rate for universities and relatively protect key programmes for 바카라사이트 UK such as 바카라사이트 European Research Council, she added.

In a statement, 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities said it was ¡°pleased that a protracted and unsettling period of insecurity about 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s overall budget is finally over and that a close but still timely start of Horizon 2020 is now possible¡±.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com