Europass is a non-profit initiative which is co-funded by the European Commission and the Department for Education in the UK. Therefore, the future of Europass depends on the outcome of Brexit. With this article, we hope to clarify what the potential outcomes of Brexit will mean for Europass.
Deal or No deal?
If the UK leaves the European Union with any sort of agreement in place, then Europass will continue until the end of the current contract period – currently the end of 2020. During which period, a new long-term arrangement will be hopefully agreed between our National Agency and the European Commission.
If the UK leaves the European without a deal, then this will mean that Europass will not continue in the UK.
And finally, more simply, if there is not Brexit at all, then Europass will continue as normal.
What does it mean that there will be ‘no Europass’?
In reality, the only outcome which will have a major and immediate impact on the future of Europass in the UK is a No-deal Brexit. This is simply because the funding arrangements we have under the current contract will cease to exist.
To put this into context, this would mean that there is no UK representation and promotion of Europass. This would not mean that Europass ceases to exist across Europe (as each country across Europe has its own National Europass Centre).
Further to this, even if there is a No-deal Brexit the UK may be able to copy the model of countries such as Iceland, Norway and Turkey – non-member EU states – who still participate in European initiatives such as Europass as they make contributions to the overall Erasmus+ funding. These arrangements however, would probably take some time to arrange.
It is important to stress however, that access to the current Europass framework for UK citizens is freely available to all and will continue to be so in the same way that the Europass documents are completed all over the world, from Australia to Brazil. This is especially pertinent with the release of the New Europass which is scheduled to launch in early 2020 and promises to offer many more functionalities than the current platform.
For organisations, the No-deal scenario may also impact the use of Europass Mobility System but the details of this are unfortunately unconfirmed for the time being.
How to keep up to date with what is going on?
The reality of the situation is uncertain – and as the past three years has shown us, liable to change at any given moment. But there are some ways you can keep up to date:
- Euroguidance, another European mobility initiative such as Europass, put together monthly Brexit briefings which are a great resource for keeping up to date with all things Brexit. You can sign up to receive them directly to your inbox
- The UK NARIC blog is another useful resource to keep up to date with potential Brexit outcomes and other information such as recognition of international qualifications and The New Europass
- The Erasmus+ Technical Notice is the latest and up to date UK Governmental Guidance on the Brexit scenarios, explaining what it means for both individuals and organisations
To summarise, just because we may be out of EU at some point in near future doesn’t mean we will not have access to the European infrastructure that is already in place or that which is being developed. We will not lose access to initiatives like Europass but, we will interact with them in a different manner.
If you have specific questions or feedback on any of the above or would simply like to find out more, please contact us at info@europass.org.uk
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