On 19 June 2014, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro respectively signed an Agreement establishing their partial participation in ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport (2014-2020).
The Agreements were signed on the occasion of the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training (WBPET), which took place in Brussels on 19-20 June and convened the Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the region.
The signature of the Agreements brings the three countries one step closer to their partial participation in the Erasmus+ programme. As soon as the signed Agreements enter into force, these countries will be able to participate in those actions not managed by a National Agency, i.e. IT support platforms (including eTwinning ) and support for policy reform. During this period, institutions and organisations in these countries will also benefit as partner countries of the external cooperation activities, i.e. higher education and youth mobility to and from the EU, and capacity building in the fields of higher education and youth.
Serbia’s Agreement entered into force a few days prior to the Ministerial Conference, on 11 June 2014. The Agreement was signed by the Serbian authorities on 25 April and counter-signed by the European Commission on 11 June, which is also the date of entry into force. As is the case for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, the Agreement provides for Serbia’s partial participation in Erasmus+.