How EU youth programmes support all young people

Τελευταία ενημέρωση Δευτέρα, 04/08/2025

Imagine being unable to travel abroad because of a wheelchair, or missing out on a youth exchange due to financial difficulties. For many young Europeans, these are challenges they face on a daily basis.

Here's the good news: the European Union is making its utmost effort to design programmes that support all young people. From DiscoverEU, Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, and so much more! These initiatives aren't simply there just to tick that inclusivity/diversity box. No young person is to be left behind on the sidelines.

While these programmes are designed to reach everyone, the reality of outreach and awareness still presents a challenge, indicating continuous room for improvement. For instance, according to the Eurodesk Info Survey 2025, it shows that while 98% of young people stated that they would be open to going abroad for a mobility programme, and 76% had already tried researching for mobility opportunities, only around 40% of young people actually went abroad in 2022/2023.

The European Union is making inclusion a priority when it comes to these programmes. Let’s see what each programme offers in terms of inclusion measures.

Erasmus+

Erasmus+ has a budget of €26.2 billion for 2021-2027. It's providing opportunities for millions of young people while ensuring everyone has fair access, regardless of their background.

Recent data show meaningful progress: in 2023, over 200,000 of the Erasmus+ participants were individuals with fewer opportunities, including migrants and people with disabilities. Activities within the youth chapter have consistently been the most inclusive, with 35% of its participants being young people with fewer opportunities.

Inclusion measures include flexible duration periods for going abroad, coverage of all extra costs associated with inclusion, such as accompanying persons, special equipment, or increased travel costs, and simplified application processes.

DiscoverEU

Let us take a closer look at the DiscoverEU action of the Erasmus+ programme. This initiative aims to provide 18-year-olds with the opportunity to explore Europe primarily by rail.

Well, the EU introduced the DiscoverEU Inclusion Action, which specifically targets young people with fewer opportunities. Whilst DiscoverEU offers this chance to young people aged 18, the DiscoverEU Inclusion Action extends the opportunity to those aged between 18 and 21, allowing them to travel as part of a group and covers additional project costs.

European Solidarity Corps 

The European Solidarity Corps allows participants to volunteer or develop projects that reflect their own communities' needs whilst gaining a European experience.

Young people can develop community projects addressing local challenges, with the programme bringing together young people to build a more inclusive society, supporting vulnerable people and responding to societal challenges.

The programme's flexibility in project length, ranging from one month to one year, supports inclusion through adaptable programme design whilst providing additional support mechanisms for participants with specific needs. Both DiscoverEU and the European Solidarity Corps also provide coverage for people with special needs, with beneficiary organisations able to receive inclusion support grants for participants with fewer opportunities.

The programmes currently define people with fewer opportunities as those who "for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons, due to their migrant background, or for reasons such as disability or educational difficulties... face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities”.

Bluebook and Schuman traineeships

The EU’s traineeship programmes also show how professional development can be inclusive across all demographics. Blue Book traineeships at the European Commission have implemented diversity and inclusion strategies, with the Commission believing in equality and diversity and actively working to make their traineeship programme more diverse. The programme provides grants to cover living expenses, helping participants financially. The traineeship is also open to non-EU countries.

The Schuman traineeships at the European Parliament accept over 400 trainees twice yearly, deliberately seeking participants from diverse educational, geographical, and social backgrounds. The programme's structure accommodates different needs through flexible working arrangements, additional financial support where required, and reasonable adjustments for various circumstances.

Overall, these mobility programmes are in fact open to everyone. Would you like to hear about the experiences of others? Read the story of Diana, who didn’t allow her physical disability to stop her from contributing to meaningful work or Ivan, who participated in sports opportunities.

EU youth programmes do not discriminate. If you’re still not convinced, read up on how everybody can participate and get support in the Eurodesk inclusivity brochure.

Written by Eurodesk Brussels Link