UK-EU reset: Agreement on UK participation in the EU Erasmus+ programme
The UK and EU have agreed that the UK will participate in the EU Erasmus+ programme from 2027
The UK government and European Commission announced on 17 December 2025 that they have reached agreement on UK association to the EU Erasmus+ programme starting from 2027. The Erasmus+ programme is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. It offers opportunities for exchange programmes and placements abroad for staff and students, and partnership opportunities for organisations.
The UK left the Erasmus+ programme following its withdrawal from the EU in 2020, although association as a third (non-EU) country was still possible. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) finalised at the end of 2020 included provisions for UK participation in EU programmes, but the then Conservative government cited value for money as its reason for not agreeing to association to the Erasmus+ programme.
The Labour government and the European Commission said at the UK-EU summit in May 2025 that they would work towards UK association to Erasmus+. The Labour government said “value for money” considerations would be important in these negotiations. In announcing agreement on Erasmus+ participation on 17 December, the government said it had secured a 30% discount on its financial contribution for 2027 in relation to terms for participation that would otherwise apply under the TCA.
UK association to the current Erasmus+ programme is for the 2027/2028 academic year and will need to be formalised under the TCA. A new version of the Erasmus+ programme will be adopted by the EU for the period 2028-2034 alongside a new EU budgetary framework for this period. Continued UK association to Erasmus+ for 2028 and beyond will need to be agreed at a later date. The UK government has said it will review data on the first year of association in order to inform its thinking on continued participation thereafter.
The UK and EU also announced progress in other areas of UK-EU reset discussions on 17 December 2025, and said they were aiming to conclude negotiations on a UK-EU youth experience scheme by the time of the next UK-EU summit in 2026 as well as agreements on a common sanitary and phytosanitary area and linking of emissions trading systems.