Time running out for EU student exchange financing

By Alan Osborn. Time is running out for an agreement on the European Union’s (EU) budget that would permit the Erasmus student exchange programme to continue without damaging cuts early next year.
But the hold-ups are to some extent procedural and a rescue could be on the way before year end.
Although there was yet more deadlock this week in negotiations between the joint EU financing authorities – the Council of Ministers, representing the 27 member states, and the European Parliament – the failure was not to do with the figures for once.
At issue was whether to discuss the amending ‘budget 6’ for 2012 simultaneously with the budget for 2013 – or not.
This might seem a ludicrously pedantic matter to the world at large, but of such fine distinctions is the machinery of EU government constructed. Read more...