MEP Renate Weber asks the EC to start infringement proceedings against UK

In February 2014, Romanian MEP Renate Weber, ALDE Political Coordinator in the LIBE Committee, has sent letters to the EC Vicepresident, Viviane Reding, the Education Commissioner, Androulla Vassilliou and to the Employment Commissioner, Laszlo Andor, regarding the situation of the Romanian and Bulgarian students in UK, whose financial support was frozen in November 2013.

According to Weber’s personal Facebook page, Androulla Vassilliou answered her, informing that the Commission decided to launch a formal investigation and request the UK authorities to provide further information and observations on the situation, while several complains were received. Romanian MEP Weber also notes that this is the first time when a Commissioner announces an investigation of this type. The official letters are available here.

At the beginning of the month, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou paid an official visit to Bucharest with the main theme of youth perspectives in Romania in regards to education and employment. At the event, Vassiliou launched Erasmus+, the new financing program of the EU for education, training, youth and sport that will offer grants to 120,000 Romanians to study, train, gain professional experience or volunteer abroad in the next seven years.

The European Commissioner will also visit projects aimed at the Roma in the nation’s capital together with Hungarian-born philantropist George Soros.

According to Agerpres newswire, the new Erasmus+ program will grant support to the most vulnerable young people, including those not in employment, education or training. Offering opportunities for non-formal learning mobility, Erasmus+ will allow young people to strengthen their self-confidence, will help them find a path in life and more importantly consolidate their skills, said commissioner Vassiliou.

The same source revealed that Romania will receive approximately EUR 52 million in 2014 from the Erasmus+ program which represents an 11 percent increase compared to the financing received last year through the Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action programs, the EC noted, mentioning that the financing level will increase yearly until 2020. Romania can also benefit from Jean Monnet grants for European integration studies done in higher education institutions and transnational sports projects.

Oana Vasiliu