Case-by-case approach to Erasmus ‘too time demanding’
The EU’s Erasmus+ academic mobility programme must adopt a “clear and supportive approach” to supporting participating teachers and students in light of the travel cancellations European countries and airlines have implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, universities have said.
In a position paper published on 20 March, the Coimbra Group of universities called for “more clarity on and simplification of the ‘force majeure’ clause” that sets out how Erasmus+ participants can claim refunds on cancellations or postponements for planned travel.
Many students and academic staff have been forced to cancel their travel plans because of Covid-19, the Coimbra Group said, adding that the EU taking a case-by-case approach to reimbursement was “too time demanding”.
It called for “more flexibility with documentation when managing the mobility interruption with [a] trust-based procedure for reimbursement claims” and “more clarity on how to consider and count the duration of mobility periods for students who returned home but are still attending online lessons at their host institution”.
Students and staff must be supported via both short- and longer-term measures, including emergency repatriation procedures, mental-health counselling and a special support fund for students unable to return home, the group said.
Many EU agencies have been ramping up their efforts to combat the pandemic and adjust to new challenges.
On 19 March the European Anti-Fraud Office opened a case on fake products flooding the EU amid the Covid-19 outbreak. These include face masks, disinfectants, sanitisers and virus test kits.
“Preventing these fake products from entering Europe is crucial to protect our health and fight effectively against the virus,” the agency said.