The European Commission will now negotiate the proposal with the Council and the European Parliament. The Commission hopes that the new programme can be adopted by 2008 and come into force in January 2009 when the current programme expires.
In the current Erasmus Mundus I programme (2004-2008) the Western Balkan countries participate as third countries because official participation,
also of candidate countries in the programme, has not yet been formalised.

Article published in eJournal summer 2007.

The current Erasmus Programme was launched in 2004 as a co-operation and mobility programme in post-graduate higher education. By 2006, more than 2,300 students had participated in the programme; a further 1,800 have just been selected to start their studies in Europe in September.

The programme aims to enhance the quality of European higher education, to raise its attractiveness worldwide and to promote intercultural understanding through co-operation with third countries. It also provides EU-funded scholarships for third country nationals participating in these Masters Courses, as well as scholarships for EU-nationals studying at Partner universities throughout the world.

Further information on the programme for scholars, students and higher education institutions both in Europe and third countries is available via
/link/998.html. Further information on the four Action programmes and eligibility can also be found on this website.

Source: Erasmus Mundus, Cordis