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OPINION (2025/2145(DEC))

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024, Section III – Commission and executive agencies

CULT-AD-779570

Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Hélder Sousa Silva

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The Committee on Culture and Education opinion on the 2024 EU budget discharge notes progress in programme implementation but flags issues with Erasmus+ mobility allowances, interim evaluations, and funding for Creative Europe. It welcomes improvements in IT, EACEA performance, and support for Ukraine, while calling for simplification, better oversight, and continued aid.

Key points

  1. Notes the significant acceleration of budget execution for DG EAC programmes in 2024, showing capacity to absorb additional funding.
  2. Regrets that increased Erasmus+ budget did not raise mobility allowances, which remain inadequate for living expenses, affecting students and teachers and exacerbating disparities.
  3. Highlights the strategic importance of investment in culture and sport, and welcomes the 57% inclusion rate of participants with fewer opportunities in Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps.
  4. Welcomes IT improvements in DG EAC and EACEA, but calls for further simplification and accessibility, including for smaller organisations and persons with fewer opportunities.
  5. Approves EACEA's performance across five KPIs, including complete budget execution and reduced estimated risk at closure to 0.49%.
  6. Welcomes reduction of carry-overs to 7% and corrective actions on irregularities, but stresses need for clear guidelines and oversight when implementation is outsourced.
  7. Regrets that interim evaluations of Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, and Creative Europe were not done before the legal deadline.
  8. Welcomes DG EAC's support to Ukraine, including inclusion of displaced children and support to artists, and supports continuing and broadening aid.
  9. Notes DiscoverEU's popularity with over 70000 travel passes issued, but less than 25% of valid applications were successful.
  10. Notes strong demand for Creative Europe with almost 1000 proposals for European Cooperation calls, but budget did not rise, lowering success rates.

Who is affected

  • Students and teachers in Erasmus+ mobility, who face inadequate allowances.
  • Smaller organisations and persons with fewer opportunities, who need better access to EU programme IT tools.
  • Ukrainian artists, researchers, students, and cultural organisations receiving EU support.
  • Young people applying for DiscoverEU travel passes, with demand exceeding supply.
  • Cultural and creative sectors applying for Creative Europe, facing lower success rates.

Figures and deadlines

  • 57% inclusion rate of participants with fewer opportunities in all activities.
  • 100% transactions of the operational budget executed by EACEA.
  • Estimated risk at closure down to 0.49%, below the 2% materiality threshold.
  • Increase in Higher Education Institutions in European University alliances from 436 in 2023 to 571 in 2024.
  • Carry-overs reduced to 7% for 2024, compared to 8% in 2023.
  • More than 70000 young people received a DiscoverEU travel pass, less than 25% of valid applications.
  • European Cooperation call received almost 1000 proposals, twice as many as in 2021.