What changed

OPINION

The Committee on Culture and EducationDevelopment calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Notes that, in 2023, the Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) launched the midterm review process and published the corresponding report for the European Education Area (EEA) and launched the midterm evaluations for Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and Creative Europe for the 2021-2027 programing period; stresses the importance of addressing challenges identified in these evaluations, particularly administrative burdens and digitalization issues, to improve accessability and efficiency for beneficiaries, in particular for people with fewer opportunities and small-scale organisations; welcomes the work done to ensure the legacy of the European Year of Youth;

1. Is very concerned by the increasing number of crises worldwide, the rise in inequalities, extreme poverty and hunger, exacerbated by the repercussions of the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine on the global food crisis, the situation in the Middle east, and the humanitarian crisis in Africa, and the increasingly frequent and severe consequences of climate change, all of which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations and have halted or even reverted progress regarding the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with the SDG financing gap increasing to currently more than 4 trillion USD; is concerned about the growing financial gap between the need for humanitarian aid and available funding;

2. Notes that the EACEA manages several programmes under two MFFs, namely the legacy programmes from the 2014-2020 MFF, with 1 897 projects closed during the reporting period, and the current 2021-2027 MFF, and was entrusted with operational appropriations for EUR 1.6 billion, managing 67 calls and monitoring a portfolio of around 8 000 running projects;

2. Recalls that the current political instability worldwide is unlikely to diminish, underscoring the need for the EU to secure sufficient funding and maintain flexibility to adapt and respond to emerging crises; emphasizes that while Member States are increasingly reducing their allocations to development and humanitarian policies, this trend hampers effective responses to escalating humanitarian and development challenges; considers that although investments in infrastructure and digitalization will be essential, sustainable development cannot be achieved without adequately addressing the root causes of current global turbulences—such as poverty, climate change and inequality—through appropriate funding;

3. Notes that DG EAC’s and the EACEA’s overall risk at payment continued to be relatively low and their overall error rate remained below the 2 % materiality threshold in 2023;

3. Against this background and worldwide tightening budgets for development, stresses that it is of utmost importance to use EU funds for development as transparently, effectively and efficiently as possible, strictly following established rules and procedures; recalls that the EU can only effectively support developing countries in addressing their immediate needs and long-term structural challenges through a balanced and coherent set of policies, underpinned by ambitious and predictable funding; expresses concern about the continuously high error rate found by the ECA for MFF heading 6 ‘Neighbourhood and the world‘ and for the 9th, 10th and 11th EDF for the audit year 2023; urges the Commission to take further steps to reduce this error rate and to strengthen support for local actors to improve compliance with established procedures; suggests that the Commission adopt innovative measures, including increased reliance on third-party monitoring, result-oriented reviews, and digital tools, to enhance oversight; recommends a more efficient collaboration with implementing partners, particularly international organisations and local actors, to ensure effective spending and concrete results, adhering to EU financial regulations and reporting standards; recommends the implementation of stricter preventive measures, such as robust ex-ante controls and targeted training for partners, and the establishment of feedback mechanisms to address risks promptly;

4. Welcomes that EACEA has taken actions to remedy the previous years’ observations and reduced the rate of carry-overs from 12% in 2021 to 8% in 2023, thereby addressing an issue that the European Court of Auditors had flagged in two consecutive years;

4. Welcomes that a number of earlier recommendations of ECA were implemented, but notes that errors, not adequately reflected, in transactions managed by pillar-assessed organisations, such as international organisations and financial institutions, indicate that their reports are not free from errors, and that an earlier recommendation to ensure that international organisations provide the ECA with complete, unlimited and timely access to documents for carrying out its audit work, is only partly implemented; whilst recognising the Commission’s efforts in this regard, asks the Commission to improve transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency of its actions in cooperation with the organisations concerned, and to address the continued delays in access to documentation and with the aim to achieving tangible results; further highlights the need to address challenges in tackling the root causes of migration and forced displacement in North Africa and the Horn of Africa; emphasises in this context the importance of fostering equal partnerships in development cooperation, grounded in mutual respect and shared responsibilities;

5. Welcomes the frontloading of EUR 100 million from the 2027 budget of Erasmus+ to the 2023 budget of Erasmus+, which enabled continued support to pupils, students, teachers and qualified staff fleeing from Ukraine, and the extra EUR 20 million awarded to Erasmus+ in 2023 as a result of Parliament’s insistence; stresses that frontloading must remain an exception to rapid response to unforeseen acute crisis situations; underlines that any frontloading of Erasmus+ cannot result in cuts for the programme at the end of current MFF; emphasizes that every effort must be made to respond to such situations preferentially with additional funding;

5. Given the ongoing battle for narratives in most regions of the world, insists that implementing partners comply with visibility rules;

6. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has adapted the grant amounts for individual support for learning mobility under Erasmus+ by 12,27 % in 2023 in order to mitigate the effects of inflation and the fact that similar adjustments have been made for the European Solidarity Corps; calls for the individual support grants to be increased and indexed to annual inflation in order to facilitate access to the Erasmus+ scheme, in particular for people in dual work programmes or apprenticeships or people with disabilities who need tailored support; notes with concern that, notwithstanding the increase in allowances for individual learning mobility support under Erasmus+ in 2023, disparities in access and exclusion of vulnerable groups have not been fully eradicated in the programme; notes further that the demand for Erasmus+ mobilities outweighed the availability in every sector of the programme;

6. While recognising the Global Gateway strategy as a concerted EU response to global challenges, reiterates that actions bringing together public and private investment must always be guided by the legal framework as provided by the NDICI Regulation, the Agenda 2030, and the needs of partner countries, as communicated by way of an honest dialogue at eye level; is concerned about inconsistencies surrounding Global Gateway programmes; calls, therefore, for improved transparency, democratic accountability, robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in Global Gateway and Team Europe initiatives; calls for a centralised, publicly accessible platform, regularly updated, to detail Global Gateway projects, including their objectives, funding sources, implementing partners, and expected outcomes; is concerned about recent media reports that in some years Chinese firms won a greater share of EIB-funded contract value than EU companies; calls on the Commission to ensure a level playing field by actively engaging with the EIB and intensifying efforts to enhance the participation of European companies in these initiatives; recommends the adoption of procurement practices that prioritise the best price/quality ratio over the lowest price as an award criterion;

7. Regrets the low uptake of adult learning and education (ALE) activities, despite their importance in achieving the target of 60% adult participation by 2030; calls on the Commission to reconsider its adult learning strategy in collaboration with National Agencies (NAs) and relevant stakeholders;

7. Welcomes the positive examples provided by the ECA on effective controls implemented by the Commission; regrets, however, in that context, that the ECA found that EU Delegations do not always have enough budget to conduct sufficient field visits for monitoring the implementation of project activities and the achievement of intended results; calls for sufficient budgetary means to conduct such field visits for better monitoring of project implementation and for achieving the intended objectives on the ground that genuinely benefits local populations, aligns with SDGs, and respects human rights and environmental standards; expresses deep concern over the potential financial cuts affecting EU Delegations in more than 30 countries, which would significantly undermine these Delegations' ability to effectively oversee the implementation of development cooperation projects, while also diminishing the EU's presence, visibility, and collaborative engagement with key partners worldwide, leaving space for rival powers to exploit the resulting gaps in diplomatic and developmental engagement;

8. Regrets that 2023 budget for European Youth Together grants under Erasmus+ could not accommodate the significant increase in applications, effectively reducing success rates and access to funding;

8. Is concerned about the findings of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) Special Report 17/2024 on the EU Trust Fund for Africa, such as that the monitoring and reporting system lacks accuracy and that the adherence of these actions to ODA principles cannot be ensured or that, despite an innovative approach to identifying human rights risks in a difficult environment, these risks were not comprehensively addressed; encourages the Commission to strengthen the involvement of the EP and transparency of the EU Trust Fund (EUTF) and calls for further alignment of ad hoc instruments with existing as well as future EU initiatives, such as the Global Gateway;

9. Welcomes the Erasmus + Sport Staff Mobility program introduction in 2023 as an initiative promoting grassroots sports; underlines the role of sport as a vital component in promoting health and unity across Europe;

9. Highlights the Commission's commitment, as outlined in its political guidelines, to enhancing engagement with civil society organisations and recalls that Article 11(2) of the Treaty on European Union requires the institutions to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society; stresses that access to structural funding is a prerequisite to ensure public participation; considers, therefore, that the independence of civil society organisations should be safeguarded and advocacy activities should remain eligible in the relevant EU-funding programmes, including through the NDICI-GE Regulation; calls on the Commission to guarantee adequate and sustained funding for NGOs and civil society organisations active in development cooperation and humanitarian aid, including advocacy, across all its budgetary guidance; stresses that discontinuing funding for all NGO activities would significantly weaken civil society's voice in public debates and pose a substantial reputational risk for the Commission;

10. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the international dimension of Erasmus + programme in both candidate as well as countries preparing for future EU membership;

10. Welcomes ECA’s special report 18/2024 on EU financial support for health systems in selected partner countries (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe) and underlines in particular the findings on the sustainability of health systems and maintenance of equipment delivered, to ensure that EU involvement has a lasting effect; points out that the lessons learnt must be extrapolated and systematically applied to other global challenges, particularly in the areas of education, climate change, and food security, and focus on addressing inequalities and ensuring long-term sustainability; encourages the ECA to continue to provide in-depth special reports relevant to international partnerships and development aid, ensuring accountability and transparency, on a regular basis;

11. Emphasizes the need for strict oversight of the allocation of funds to prevent misuse within the Erasmus programme; asks the Commission to gather evidence to investigate any case of fraudulent or suspicious recipients, in accordance with its duties outlined in the Financial Regulation and Erasmus+ grant agreements; calls for adequate safeguarding of the programme from abuse by organizations whose activities are not aligned with the fundamental values of the European Union (human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights; recalls that the Commission is legally bound to ensure that programme beneficiaries commit to and ensure the respect of these values and do not commit professional misconduct;

11. Expresses profound concern regarding the paucity of information on results achieved and operational performance of the External Action Guarantee; urges the Commission to substantially improve data collection and analytical processes concerning the impact of guaranteed operations; points to the findings of the European Court of Auditors Opinion (ECA) 03/2024 showing a lack of evidence of the EFSD+’s contribution to overarching development objectives as stipulated by Article 42(5) of the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation, as well as concerns regarding the mobilisation of investments by the EAG and the estimates of the Commission in terms of how much private sector investments can be mobilised by EFSD+; calls for evidence of the volume of EFSD+ funding allocated and contractualised in these countries, and for transparency on how the quota of allocations to LDCs is respected within allocations of the regional MIPs; in line with recommendations in ECA’s Opinion 03/2024; calls on the Commission to respect ECA’s recommendations calling for a comprehensive assessment of the EAG; calls on the Commission to implement ECA’s recommendations to increase the overall transparency and accountability of the EAG, calls upon the Commission to publish comprehensively all requisite information on the EFSD+ website and within the NDICI-Global Europe annual report, in strict alignment with the principles of open and accountable governance that the European Union advocates globally.

12. Asks the Commission to hereinafter terminate the cooperation and recover the EU funds allocated to recipients if found in violation of the applicable legislation during the implementation of the project;

12. Underlines once more the necessity to achieve the NDICI-GE spending targets for climate objectives, biodiversity, human development and gender;

13. Welcomes the award of the Seal of Excellence, piloted in 2023, with the purpose of building synergies with other Union investment programmes, like the European Social Fund Plus, Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, with nine European Universities Alliances receiving a Seal of Excellence certificate;

13. Highlights the critical democratic oversight role of the European Parliament in scrutinising development funds; recalls Parliament's consistent advocacy for increased resources in international partnerships and global climate action; demands enhanced Commission engagement with Parliamentary priorities;

14. Notes that interest in the European Solidarity Corps has grown significantly in recent years and that, due to the small budget allocation, an increasing number of applicants are being excluded from participation;

14. Expresses significant concern over the recent 2 billion euro reduction in development programmes within the mid-term budgetary revision; urges the Commission to develop robust mitigation strategies to preserve the European Union's international development commitments;

15. Notes that, after two years of frontloading of the Creative Europe budget to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme’s budget has returned to the regular profile of slow but steady growth until the end of the programming period; welcomes the reinforcement of its 2023 budget by EUR 7,5 million as a result of Parliament's insistence;

15. Recognises the imperative for adequate funding to support the European Parliament's development policy oversight; advocates for the allocation of appropriate budgetary resources to ensure comprehensive scrutiny of development expenditure and impact, including strategic resourcing of the DEVE committee secretariat;

16. Notes that, in addition to its presence at film festivals, the Creative Europe budget financed a stand dedicated to MEDIA at Gamescom; welcomes this first initiative at a video games industry event, and the good results achieved, and encourages further efforts in this area;

16. Stresses again the important role of local NGOs and partners in service delivery and support to local communities; underlines the importance of enhancing their capacity to manage and implement actions financed by the EU and to improve their access to Union funding.

17. Reiterates the importance of ensuring sufficient funds within programmes, especially for small-scale and voluntary organisations; urges the Commission to drastically simplify the application process for funding within programmes and to make it less time-consuming; particularly welcomes the lump sum approach as an effective simplification measure but expresses concerns about the burden of continuous reporting, especially for smaller organisations; underlines that these organisations should also be able to successfully participate in the programme and benefit from funding without significant additional effort;

18. Encourages DG EAC to complete the update of its Anti-Fraud Action Strategy and Action Plan speedily and ensure the implementation of the current Anti-Fraud Strategy, in particular the centralisation of the procedure to exclude organisations that fall under exclusion criteria;

19. Is pleased that the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) implemented the first Intra-Africa Academic Mobility V call of the current MFF with a total of 127 applications submitted, underscoring the interest of the African academic community;

20. Notes with concern that out of the Intra-ACP Budget within the European Development Fund implemented by EACEA (EUR 4.3 million) only 46% of payments were paid on time, as the result of delays in the transfer of budget to EACEA;

21. Notes with concern the persisting challenges in 2023 with the e-Grant tools for beneficiaries of calls managed by the EACEA; emphasizes the urgent need for technical improvements and user-centered design to ensure seamless application and reporting processes;

22. Welcomes the EACEA’s efforts to implement EMAS and encourages EACEA to increase its efforts by further implementing a sustainability plan and publishing the agency’s sustainability report transparently;

23. Calls on the Commission and Parliament to fundamentally revise the pre-assessment procedure for pilot projects and preparatory actions in order to make the whole process more transparent and comprehensible while significantly strengthening cooperation between all institutions regarding the will of the budgetary authority expressed in the proposals.

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