Suspension of EU funds might hinder Erasmus exchange

The European Students’ Union (ESU) is concerned about the suspension by the European Commission of the funding for the Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action Programmes in Malta.

Support letter from the European Students’ Union

Brussels, May 28, 2010 The European Students’ Union (ESU) would like to express its grave concern regarding the suspension by the European Commission of the funding for the Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action Programmes in Malta. ESU acknowledges that money of the European citizens should be spent wisely and that the expenditure should be transparent.  However, sanctioning possible administrative shortcomings by a government distributing European funding should never affect the projects or individuals that have applied for the funding, but it should only hold the authority responsible for the causes of the suspension accountable.

ESU is very concerned to see students being possibly deprived from their rights to a mobility period and unions and organisations deprived from their Youth In Action-supported activities or projects.  It is hard to see how students can be held victim for a breach in trust between the national authority and the European institutions, most certainly when both the European Commission and the Maltese government as members of the Bologna Process want to strive for 20% of graduates to have had a mobility experience by 2020, but also social cohesion and active citizenship through the Youth in Action programmes.

ESU therefore requests that the Maltese government and the European Commission urgently find a solution to resolve both the possible administrative shortcomings of the Maltese authorities and the exclusion coming forth out of the suspending measure of the European Commission so that students would not be directly affected.

Best regards,

Ligia Deca
ESU Chairperson