In the future it should be easier to study abroad. The European Parliament will adopt today a report which calls for a range of measures to promote mobility among young Europeans and improve educational and training opportunities.
 
According to the report, obstacles to mobility must be removed and instruments such as the Mobility Scoreboard and the increased recognition of the European Qualifications Framework, are key issues to support the initiative "Youth on the Move". One of the major barriers to student mobility is the lack of a mandatory system that ensures full recognition of student exchanges in terms of credit transfer. The optional European Qualifications Framework that facilitates these transfers is not enough.

ALDE shadow rapporteur  Morten Løkkegaard (Venstre, DK), underlines : "Getting recognition for your studies abroad is a must. If not, we risk that students will no longer go abroad. The risk must be avoided, since student exchanges increase employability. And for the moment young people have trouble enough trying to access the labour market."

Young people are the victims of the current economic crisis with soaring youth unemployment. The report targets the young generation and seeks to ensure that they have the best possible opportunities for strenghtening their education skills, facilitating lifelong learning and accessing the labour market. According to Lokkegaard this requires an increase in EU financial support for the EU youth education programmes, such as Erasmus, Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci or Youth in Action, in the next multiannual financial framework.

"The EU's education and youth programmes contribute significantly to obtaining the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, especially new and better skills through improved mobility and a modernisation  of Europe's universities. This will require more public and private financing and closer partnerships  between universities and businesses. We must invest in our future if we do not want to be left behind in the race to become the world's leading knowledge economy", says Morten Løkkegaard.

ALDE MEP Ramona Nicole Manescu (PNL, Romania) added : "We have to adapt the educational offer to the needs of the labour market and focus more on developing the instruments that young people need in order to make full use of their entrepreneurial skills. The Commission and the Member States need to look further than the existing programmes and give youth the means to reach their potential in terms of entrepreneurship. We should look more into facilitating a higher degree of employability and flexibility on the labour market."