Erasmus+ as a values-driven programme

This policy paper argues that the Erasmus+ programme should be explicitly repositioned as a values-driven instrument that uses student and staff mobility to actively realise the foundational values of Article 2 TEU, including democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Utilising a legal and policy-analysis methodology grounded in EU primary law, secondary legislation, and Commission documentation, the paper maps the programme’s horizontal priorities against the EU's foundational framework and identifies critical implementation gaps in areas such as inclusion, civic participation, digital rights, academic-freedom sensitivity, and simplification. To address these shortcomings, the paper outlines a six-pillar agenda for improvements - combining updated governance, conditionality, capacity-strengthening, and incentives. It presents the EUniverse project as a practical laboratory for values-based internationalisation and institutional change.