European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education
EURASHE
EURASHE is the European Association for applied higher education and research.
ID: 622449913391-69
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer and
28 Jan 2026 · Stakeholder dialogue on establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034
21 Nov 2025
While the budget for Erasmus+ has also been strengthened, it is far short of the fivefold increase we have called for as part of the Erasmus+ Coalition, or the threefold increase requested by the European Parliament. Furthermore, the relevant budget line in the MFF now includes the European Solidarity Corp, reducing the overall increase. Only in terms of key action one, the interim evaluation of the current programme showed that it funds around half of credit mobility but is still not enough to adequately meet increased demand. In addition, due a sharp rise in applications, success rates for key action two have reduced so much that practitioners on the front line have not been able to access funding. The performance and potential of key initiatives developed in the current programme, especially the European University Alliances and Centres of Vocational Excellence provide evidence for a much stronger investment in education at European level. This is why we are calling for closer links and synergies between Erasmus+ and the national plans under Cohesion Policy. In terms of the architecture of the new programme, the structure of key actions is rebranded as Learning opportunities for all (former KA1 - mobility) and Capacity building support (former KA2 and KA3 institutional cooperation and policy experimentation). We would like clarity on how much funding will be available for the different elements. The main novelty of the programme is the introduction of Erasmus+ scholarships in strategic education fields. These are defined as areas where Europe lack key skills and will be encouraged to be delivered by joint programmes, including the European degree (although this is not specified because it still needs to be developed, starting out as a label). EURASHE strongly welcomes this proposal as it will harness the higher education sector to deliver on the Union of Skills. We call for a significant budget allocation, along with those for Erasmus Mundus scholarships, along with a stakeholder dialogue on the strategic fields to be supported. Regarding capacity building support, we are pleased to see continued support for the European Universities Initiative and Centres of Vocational Excellence, but wish to see the designation of budgetary envelopes for these high impact parts of the Programme. In parallel to negotiations on the regulation, we call on the Commission for a timely publication of a long-term funding strategy for the European Universities Initiative, including the expected contribution from Erasmus+ as well as other programmes. We also seek assurances that operating grants for civil society organisations will continue.
Read full responseResponse to European Innovation Act
3 Oct 2025
The European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education (ERUASHE) welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop a European Innovation Act. As centres of practice-based research and lifelong learning, applied universities make an important contribution to research and innovation, especially at higher technological and societal readiness levels. In drafting the European Innovation Act, EURASHE urges the Commission and co-legislators to develop a legislative instrument that: Creates a genuine single market for knowledge generation, dissemination and adoption in synergy with the European Research Act. Harnesses the entrepreneurial and innovative talent from all regions and parts of society. Captures the diversity and complexity of innovation, avoiding a linear approach and supporting the Using, Doing and Interacting mode of innovation. Recognises the importance of place for exchange of tacit knowledge and scaling up of enterprises, and therefore the need to support regional innovation ecosystems that draw on all parts of the quadruple helix. Strengthens the role of universities for knowledge valorisation and partners for enterprises of all sizes in a range of activities, avoiding a narrow interpretation of university-industry interaction. Reduces bureaucratic obstacles that has a disproportionate impact on smaller firms and other innovation actors. Connects European value chains to create critical mass in innovation priorities, building on the 100+ Smart Specialisation Strategies, and linking them better at European level. In this respect there is an urgent need to align spending on innovation by the European Regional Development Fund with the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ Programmes. Ensures access to finance and regulatory sandboxes for different types of innovation actors and regions. Links policies for innovation and education through the Knowledge Triangle, giving a prominent role to the Innovation Communities of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), and the European Education Area (Union of Skills, European University Alliances, Centres of Vocational Excellence).
Read full responseResponse to European Research Area (ERA) Act
10 Sept 2025
EURASHE welcomes the European Commission's initiative to adopt the European Research Area (ERA) Act in 2026. Strengthening the EU's research and innovation (R&I) ecosystems and enabling the free movement of researchers, knowledge, and technology within the single market is essential to Europe's economy. Universities of Applied Sciences and similar institutions or university departments are key drivers for the integration of R&I across Europe's regions. They are strongly embedded within regional innovation ecosystems and cooperate intensely with their local authorities and industries. They can help the ERA to develop excellence everywhere, as well as an integrated and inclusive approach to knowledge circulation and valorisation. We strongly support the introduction of legally binding measures that promote all types of research, from basic to applied and practice based. In this context, the ERA Act should work in synergy with the proposed European Innovation Act. This includes the Startup and Scaleup strategy, in which both knowledge creation and application will be essential for European Competitiveness. EURASHE welcomes the creation of a fifth freedom within the single market based on geographical and intersectoral mobility of knowledge. This is crucial to avoid fragmentation and build pan-European research and innovation ecosystems. It should be noted that this was the rationale for Smart Specialisation when the ERA was first conceived, and there are now around 200 Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) at national, regional and local levels. It is crucial that such strategies are interconnected to allow for the development of value chains and address critical priorities for the European economy, absorb new technologies, as well as respond to societal challenges. In order for the fifth freedom to function effectively, the ERA Act should ensure that knowledge and technological development is not overly concentrated in core cities and regions. Europe needs all its research and innovation engines to compete globally. Divergence within the European single market was the reason for the establishment of a Cohesion Policy and the freedom of movement in knowledge may exacerbate regional inequalities if not properly addressed at EU level. Crucially, this cannot be done by regional funds alone and centrally managed programmes including Horizon Europe will have to invest heavily in connecting regional innovation ecosystems. Furthermore, the negative consequences of increased spatial inequalities in knowledge are not only economic: Left behind places in the knowledge economy are increasingly voting for populist and anti-European political parties. EURASHE therefore welcomes the intention to better align investments and policies by structuring investments around strategic priorities between the EU and Member States, and across Member States. EURASHE believes that regional disparities should be addressed in these strategic priorities, particularly by including regional indicators in the ERA Monitoring Mechanism (EMM). The Research & Innovation and Cohesion Managing Authorities Network (RIMA) should play a central role in coordinating dialogue on aligning current and future initiatives and funding mechanisms, including Horizon Europe, the Competitiveness Fund and Cohesion Policy. Finally, the ERA must be closely tied to the European Education Area and its support for transnational cooperation. EURASHE and its members stand ready to contribute to the further design and consequently the implementation of this key legislative initiative.
Read full responseMeeting with Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President) and
28 Mar 2025 · Implementation of the Union of Skills
Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and European University Association and
27 Jan 2025 · FP10
Meeting with Christophe Galand (Head of Unit Budget) and European University Association and
23 Jan 2025 · Discussion on research place in the the future Multiannual Financial Framework
Meeting with Anouk Faber (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit)
9 Feb 2022 · Meeting on Skills
Meeting with Mariya Gabriel (Commissioner)
11 Jun 2021 · European higher education
Response to Communication on the future of research and innovation and the European Research Area
30 Jul 2020
EURASHE, as the European representative of professional higher education institutions, welcomes the commitment to revitalize the European Research Area (ERA) and boost the research and innovation performance throughout European countries and regions. As the recent health crisis showed us, research and innovation will be at the core of Europe’s recovery and a coordinated approach between Member States is needed to tackle the new global and societal challenges.
In particular, we strongly support the opportunity to integrate ERA to the European Education Area (EEA), with the aim of mutually reinforce them and bring down the barriers that prevent the realisation of a broader European knowledge strategy. As Commissioner Gabriel stated during her hearing before the European Parliament, research and education belong together. In order to bring to life innovative solutions, researchers need to be equipped with the right set of skills and with an entrepreneurial mindset that would allow them to conduct their research with a challenge-based approach. In this sense, it is only with a strong and deep integration with EEA, that ERA can aim to be an excellence-driven, open labour market for highly-skilled researchers.
Taking into account the natural links between ERA and EEA, EURASHE believes that the forthcoming Communication should also address the synergies with the 41 European Universities alliances, which Commissioner Gabriel defined as “a key building block for the European Education Area”. Due to their own nature, as transnational alliances promoting a seamless mobility of students, staff and researchers, European Universities will strengthen the links between education, research and innovation, opening the way for a renewed push towards systemic policy initiatives such as ERA.
The participation of 26 professional higher education institutions, in particular Universities of Applied Sciences (hereafter UAS), in the European Universities alliances will also provide a diverse set of experiences, which can support ERA in the development of a legal toolbox guiding the cooperation not only between universities but also between universities and the private sector. As outlined in the 2018 ERA Progress Report, transferring research results to the market and establishing a closer collaboration between industries and universities is still needed in order to reach an optimal circulation, access to and transfer to scientific knowledge (ERA Priority 5). To this aim, due to their applied research profile and close ties with the world of work, UAS can become important players in filling the innovation gap in the transformation of research results into marketable solutions. In this sense, professional higher education institutions and especially UAS can also play a significant role in the forthcoming European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, acting in particular as a bridge between regional and national innovation actors, both from the private and public sector.
While strongly supporting the initiative to give a renewed impetus to ERA, EURASHE therefore believes that the forthcoming Communication should extensively discuss the opportunities for a better integration between ERA and EEA, addressing ways to mutually reinforce them and possible synergies with other European programmes, in particular the European Universities initiative.
Read full responseMeeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and
9 Jun 2020 · Videoconference on Vocational Education and Training (VET) and the impact of the crisis on VET.
Meeting with Catherine Sustek (Cabinet of Vice-President Margaritis Schinas)
3 Feb 2020 · Skills Agenda, Vocational Education & Training, European Education Area
Meeting with Patricia Reilly (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics)
12 Feb 2015 · Higher education policy and skills