Decision No 1/2026 of the Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes established by Article 8(1), point (s), of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, of 15 April 2026 amending Protocol I to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement [2026/1962]

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2026/1962 27.8.2026 DECISIONNo 1/2026 OF THE SPECIALISED COMMITTEE ON PARTICIPATION IN UNION PROGRAMMES ESTABLISHED BY ARTICLE 8(1), POINT (S), OF THE TRADE AND COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, OF THE OTHER PART, of 15 April 2026 amending Protocol I to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement [2026/1962] THE SPECIALISED COMMITTEE ON PARTICIPATION IN UNION PROGRAMMES, Having regard to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part(1) (the ‘Trade and Cooperation Agreement’), and in particular Article 710(2) thereof,

Whereas:

CONSIDERING the common goals, values and strong links of the Parties in the field of education, training, youth and sport, and that the participation of the United Kingdom in the Erasmus+ Programme will benefit both Parties in this regard, REAFFIRMING the understanding of the Parties that the specific terms of this participation, including mutually agreed financial terms, should ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the United Kingdom, ACKNOWLEDGING that, in line with this understanding, the Parties have considered it appropriate to adjust the contribution key for the Erasmus+ Programme in the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, RECOGNISING that the participation of the United Kingdom in any relevant programme succeeding the Erasmus+ Programme under the next multiannual financial framework should be on mutually agreed terms to reflect a fair balance and be informed by the experience of the participation in 2027,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 Protocol I is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

It shall apply from 1 January 2027.

Done at Brussels, 15 April 2026.

For the Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes The Co-chairs Matthew HIGHAM Gerald WELDON

(1) OJ L 149, 30.4.2021, p. 10, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2021/689(1)/oj.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1962/oj 1/4EN OJ L, 27.8.2026 ANNEX

Protocol I to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement is amended as follows:

(1) Article 1 is amended as follows:

(a) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘(1a) The United Kingdom shall participate in and contribute as of 1 January 2027 to the Union programme

established by the following basic act:

(a) Regulation (EU) 2021/817 of the European Parliament and of the Council(*)(hereinafter referred to as the ‘Erasmus+ Programme’) _____________ (*) Regulation (EU) 2021/817 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing Erasmus+: the Union Programme for education and training, youth and sport and repealing Regulation

(EU) No 1288/2013 (OJ L 189, 28.5.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/817/oj).’;

(b) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: ‘(2) With regard to the programmes referred to in paragraph 1, this Protocol shall not apply to award procedures which implement budgetary commitments for 2021, 2022 and 2023.’;

(c) the following paragraph is added: ‘(3) With regard to the Erasmus+ Programme referred to in paragraph 1a, this Protocol shall not apply to award procedures which implement budgetary commitments for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.’;

(2) Article 2 is amended as follows:

(a) paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘(1) The United Kingdom shall participate in the Union programmes and activities, or parts thereof, referred to in Article 1(1) of this Protocol from 1 January 2024 for their remaining duration or until the end of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, whichever is shorter.’;

(b) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘(1a) The United Kingdom shall participate in the Erasmus+ Programme referred to in Article 1(1a) of this Protocol from 1 January 2027 for its remaining duration or until the end of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027, whichever is shorter.’;

(c) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: ‘(2) The United Kingdom or United Kingdom entities shall be eligible under the conditions laid down in Article 711 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, with regard to Union award procedures, which implement the budgetary commitments of the programmes and activities or parts thereof, referred to in Article 1 of this Protocol, within the time limits set out in paragraph 1 and paragraph 1a of this Article.

For the Union programmes and activities, or parts thereof, referred to in Article 1(1) of this Protocol, the United Kingdom or United Kingdom entities shall not be eligible for Union funding under Union award procedures which implement budgetary commitments for 2021, 2022 and 2023, without prejudice to the applicable eligibility rules for entities of non-associated countries laid down in the basic act or other rules pertaining to the implementation of the Union programme or activity.

For the Erasmus+ Programme referred to in Article 1(1a) of this Protocol, the United Kingdom or United Kingdom entities shall not be eligible for Union funding under Union award procedures which implement budgetary commitments for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, without prejudice to the applicable eligibility rules for entities of non-associated countries laid down in the basic act or other rules pertaining to the implementation of that Union programme.’;

2/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1962/ojEN OJ L, 27.8.2026

(3) the following Articles are inserted: ‘Article 6a Specific terms and conditions of the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme The participation of the United Kingdom in the Erasmus+ Programme shall be conditional on the notification of a national authority, the designation of a national agency, and the designation of an independent audit body, in conformity with Articles 26, 27, 28 and 29 of Regulation (EU) 2021/817.

The participation of the United Kingdom in the Erasmus+ Programme shall be subject to the European Commission accepting or conditionally accepting the ex-ante compliance assessment of the national agency, pursuant to Article 28(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/817.

Article 6b Financial conditions for the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme

(1) By derogation from Article 714(7) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the contribution key to be applied in year 2027 for the calculation of the operational contribution for the participation in the Erasmus+ Programme, referred to in Article 1(1a) of this Protocol, shall be 70 % of the contribution key defined in Article 714(6) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

(2) In relation to the Erasmus+ Programme, referred to in Article 1(1a) of this Protocol, the references to the “contribution key of year N” in Article 714(8) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement shall be understood as “70 % of the contribution key of year N”.

Article 6c Review of the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme

(1) Ten months after the start of the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme, referred to in Article 1(1a) of this Protocol, the Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes shall review the implementation thereof on the basis of the available data concerning the participation of United Kingdom entities in actions under indirect and direct management under the Erasmus+ Programme, including the extent to which funds have been successfully allocated.

(2) Following a request by either Party, the Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes shall discuss changes or proposed changes affecting the terms of the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme, and if necessary, may propose appropriate measures within the scope of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

(3) Each Party shall collect, retain and provide to the other Party information or data that is reasonable to perform this review.

Article 6d Statistical cooperation Any statistical data on the United Kingdom for the purposes of the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme, in particular data on population of the United Kingdom, shall be provided by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), as soon as the relevant exchanges of statistical data and related information are included in the scope of the Arrangement on Statistical Cooperation between the United Kingdom Statistics Authority and Eurostat referred to in Article 730 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Before the updated terms apply, any statistical data on the United Kingdom for the purposes of the United Kingdom’s participation in the Erasmus+ Programme shall be established on the basis of data provided by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).’;

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1962/oj 3/4EN OJ L, 27.8.2026

(4) Article 7 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 7 Reciprocity For the purpose of this Article “Union entity” means any type of entity, whether a natural person, legal person or another type of entity, who resides or which is established in the Union.

Eligible Union entities may participate in programmes of the United Kingdom equivalent to those referred in points

(b) and (c) of Article 1(1) of this Protocol in accordance with United Kingdom law and rules.’.

4/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1962/oj