Changes from plenary report to adopted text

– having regard to the study of 11 September 2023 conducted for its Committee on Culture and Education entitled ‘EU funding programmes 2021-2027 in culture, media, education, youth and sports: first lessons, challenges and future perspectives – Erasmus+’,

– having regard to the study of 20 July 2023 conducted for its Committee on Culture and Education entitled ‘Early implementation of four 2021-2027 EU programmes: Erasmus+, Creative Europe, European Solidarity Corps and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (Strand 3)’,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 17 May 2021 on the European Universities initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: Paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 14 and 15 December 2017,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 7 June 2018 on moving towards a vision of a European Education Area,

– having regard to the Council Resolution of 18 November 2019 on further developing the European Education Area to support future-oriented education and training systems,

– having regard to the Council Resolution of 29 November 2021 on a new European agenda for adult learning 2021-2030,

– having regard to the Council Recommendation of 13 May 2024 entitled ‘“Europe on the Move” – learning mobility opportunities for everyone’,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 28 February 2025 for a Council Recommendation on the European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025-2027 (COM(2025)0062),

– having regard to Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/2122 of 26 November 2021 on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 18 January 2022 on a European strategy for universities (COM(2022)0016),

– having regard to the Commission report of 15 April 2024 on good practices from European University Alliances Projects (Pilot II),

– having regard to the Commission report on the outcomes and transformational potential of the European Universities initiative,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 27 March 2024 entitled ‘A blueprint for a European degree’ (COM(2024)0144),

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 27 March 2024 (SWD(2024)0074), accompanying Commission communication COM(2024)0144, the Commission proposal of 27 March 2024 for a Council recommendation on a European Quality Assurance and Recognition System in Higher Education (COM(2024)0147) and the Commission proposal of 27 March 2024 for a Council recommendation on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education (COM(2024)0145),

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 19 December 2024 entitled ‘Report on the final outcomes of the Erasmus+ policy experimentation projects: European degree (label) and institutionalised EU cooperation instruments’ (SWD(2024)0291),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘The Union of Skills’ (COM(2025)0090),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2025 on a STEM Education Strategic Plan: skills for competitiveness and innovation (COM(2025)0089),

– having regard to the mid-term review of the European Education Area of 2023,

– having regard to the Rome Ministerial Communiqué adopted on 19 November 2020 at the Ministerial conference of the European Higher Education Area,

– having regard to the Principles, Guidelines and Indicators of the Social Dimension of Higher Education of 9 January 2024, published by the Bologna Follow-up Group, Working Group on Social Dimension 2021-2024,

– having regard to the independent high-level report on the future of the single market by Enrico Letta, entitled ‘Much more than a market – Speed, Security, Solidarity: Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens’, published in April 2024,

– having regard to the report by Mario Draghi on the Future of European Competitiveness, published in September 2024,

– having regard to the report on research and innovation by a group of independent experts chaired by Manuel Heitor, entitled ‘Align, act, accelerate – Research, technology and innovation to boost European competitiveness’, published in October 2024,

– having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2022 on the implementation of inclusion measures within Erasmus+ 2014-2020,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2020 on effective measures to ‘green’ Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the European Solidarity Corps,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2022 on establishing the European Education Area by 2025 – micro-credentials, individual learning accounts and learning for a sustainable environment,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A10-0135/2025),

A. whereas quality education and training as well as academic cooperation are prerequisites for achieving the European Union’s strategic autonomy, promoting EU’s values, fighting skills shortages by attracting and retaining talent, and fostering competitiveness with leading global universities based on the development of human capital, resilience and wellbeing;

B. whereas the importance of academia and universities for a competitive, resilient and autonomous European Union is underlined in Mario Draghi’s report on the future of European competitiveness, in Enrico Letta’s report on the future of the single market and in Manuel Heitor’s report on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe;

C. whereas the fragmentation of the EU’s higher education and research undermines the capacity of the EU to safeguard its sovereignty, promote its values and assert global influence; whereas greater integration could reinforce the EU’s strategic position;

D. whereas the Competitiveness Compass emphasises the importance of high-quality education, training and lifelong learning to fill in the skills and labour gaps;

E. whereas Erasmus+ is an EU flagship programme supporting education, training, youth and sport in Europe and internationally, while fostering mobility and academic cooperation; whereas stronger interaction between Erasmus+ and other existing EU programmes such as Horizon Europe would benefit those objectives while fostering a more comprehensive approach to higher education;

F. whereas the European Universities alliances serve a multidimensional purpose, starting with the creation of joint curricula, progressing towards the creation of inter-university campuses with a strong European dimension that fosters the mobility of students, lifelong learners and researchers, as well as academic and non-academic staff, and catalysing other even more transformative changes in the higher education landscapes in Member States and participating countries for a truly competitive European Education Area;

G. whereas academic freedom is a central principle of universities’ missions and activities as enshrined in Article 13 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the UNESCO Recommendation of 11 November 1997 concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel; whereas such freedom is crucial to the well-being of democratic societies and thus needs to be further protected and promoted;

H. whereas the European Universities alliances, by providing seamless mobility for students, researchers and academic and non-academic staff within the EU and beyond, play a role in enhancing research, innovation and education in the single market, and so are central to the realisation of the ‘fifth freedom’ as described in the Letta report;

I. whereas higher education institutions in Europe face challenges with transnational collaboration, especially with regard to funding, significant divergences in national and regional legislation, legal status and governance structures, and contractual barriers to knowledge sharing;

J. whereas the European Universities initiative has been successful, exceeding expectations in terms of participation and engagement; whereas the aim of creating 20 alliances set out in the 2017 Council conclusions has been surpassed, as 65 alliances have now been created, encompassing more than 570 universities with more than 2 200 external partners, without any additional budget allocations and without any guarantee of continuity for funded projects;

K. whereas these current alliances were selected through five competitive open calls focusing on quality, excellence, academic merit, inclusivity and equitable geographical coverage;

L. whereas the European Universities initiative is a key instrument for building an integrated, competitive and inclusive European Education Area, capable of responding to global challenges as well as strengthening European identity, culture and values;

M. whereas the alliances have proven their transformative potential to modernise the Member States’ higher education systems, playing a leading role in educating a new generation of mobile European students, and have contributed to cutting-edge research; whereas universities from several alliances are key advocates and drivers of legislative changes in their own countries;

N. whereas 23 Member States are currently co-funding alliances with their national budgets;

State of play, challenges and obstacles

1. Acknowledges the warm welcome and commitment given to the European Universities initiative by higher education institutions and the initiative’s role in facilitating efforts to remove obstacles to regional, cross-border and international cooperation in higher education, such as fragmented funding, disparities in accreditation systems and legal barriers;

2. Highlights the fact that mobility projects, the creation of common curricula and cooperation between universities in Europe are instrumental in addressing needs in strategic areas and reinforcing the sense of belonging to Europe and adherence to the EU’s values, while preserving the diversity and richness of the European Union;

3. Notes that the alliances are a powerful tool for the implementation and advancement of the Bologna Process; highlights the leverage effect alliances have on transformation processes in the higher education landscape through pioneering and boosting innovative approaches as well as new methods for cooperation, the creation of opportunities and accessibility for students;

4. Underlines the diversity of the alliances in terms of governance, topics and subjects covered, and the size and location of participating universities; notes the successful participation of many universities from medium-sized cities, rural areas and outermost regions, making it an accessible and inclusive initiative; highlights the fact that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is not appropriate for the alliances; notes that the Europe-wide geographical representation of universities within the alliances is key to tackling brain drain and attracting international talent, while making an invaluable contribution to European unity and integration;

5. Welcomes the integration of students in the alliances’ governance structures, enabling young people to have a substantial and real impact on their development, as youth participation in democratic decision-making processes helps to make alliances more forward-looking and addresses practical challenges faced by students; stresses the importance of aligning student engagement with student organisations to ensure transparency, fairness and inclusivity in stakeholder involvement;

6. Highlights the fact that alliances have the potential and expertise to help universities address socio-economic challenges; underlines the importance of incorporating societal impact as a cross-cutting element in the activities of the alliances; calls for clear strategies to ensure and monitor accessibility and the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities in all alliances’ activities, especially through the dismantling of barriers to mobility and the prevention of all forms of discrimination, in line with the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education;