Jean Monnet Designated institutions (JMDIs) are seven institutions designated in Article 8(c) of the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ Regulation1 as institutions pursuing an aim of European interest. They are the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, including its School of Transnational Governance (EUI); the Colleges of Europe, Bruges (Belgium) and Natolin (Poland) campuses (CoEB and CoEN); the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht, Netherlands (EIPA); the Academy of European Law in Trier, Germany (ERA); the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education in Odense, Denmark (EASNIE); and the International Centre for European Training in Nice, France (CIFE). They receive annual operating grants under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet actions. JMDIs are educational and research institutions that play a crucial role in pursuing an aim of European interest and European integration, fostering understanding of European Union (EU) policies, and advancing academic excellence and inclusiveness in EU studies and European higher education. Their work covers a wide range of disciplines, including law, public administration, economics, political science, social sciences, arts and humanities. The main activities of these institutions involve: the provision of education on EU-related topics at graduate and post-graduate levels; training to legal and public sector professionals; research, including data collection and analysis to inform future policies; capacity building on EU-related topics; organisation of events on priority issues for the EU; and dissemination of specific results and general information to the broader public. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the profiles, activities, relevance and added value of the seven JMDIs to assess to what extent they really pursue an aim of European interest and European integration (task 1). Secondly, the study aims to map the existence of any similar institutions in the EU (task 2) and, thirdly, assess the impact on JMDIs of any potential discontinuation of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet operating grant (task 3). Finally, building on previous findings, the study proposes actionable and transparent eligibility criteria for JMDIs to allow the European Commission to set clear and transparent expectations for these institutions, facilitate their assessment and evaluation, and ensure continued relevance (task 4).
