WHAT THIS MEANS AND WHY CHOOSING A QUALITY ERASMUS+ COURSE PROVIDER MATTERS MORE NOW
 

The European School Education Platform (ESEP) has announced important changes to its course catalogue - and as an Erasmus+ KA1 staff mobility course provider based in Barcelona, Spain, we want to make sure the educators and school staff we work with hear about it directly from us

 

What ESEP Has Announced

 

The European School Education Platform informed course providers in April 2026 that, as of 27 May 2026, external course providers will no longer be able to publish courses on the platform. From that date, the course catalogue will only display courses run by the European Commission as part of its own professional development offer.

 

This is described by ESEP as a pause, currently expected to remain in place throughout Q3 2026. At that point, a decision will be taken on future steps based on the assessment of the test period. When more information becomes available about the next Erasmus+ programme (2028–2034) and how it may impact the course catalogue, this will be communicated via the course providers mailing list.

 

Why ESEP Is Making This Change

 

The ESEP team explained their reasoning directly. Since its launch under the Comenius programme, the course catalogue has grown exponentially. Over the years, significant efforts have been made to ensure the quality of externally provided courses, but these efforts have had limited effects due to legal and operational constraints. At the same time, the number of complaints from teachers and other beneficiaries about the poor quality of courses they have attended has unfortunately increased. The platform has also faced a growing number of cyberattacks, with the course catalogue area being particularly vulnerable.

 

The pause will also serve a broader purpose: the ESEP team intends to use this period to evaluate how beneficiaries can identify suitable, high-quality courses outside the platform, and to reflect on better ways to support high-quality staff mobility going forward.

 

What This Means for Course Providers Like Euromentor

 

Our courses will remain available via the ESEP dashboard, though we will no longer be able to update or change their status on the platform. More importantly, our courses continue to be fully available - and fully bookable - directly through our website.

 

This pause is also, in our view, an important moment to reflect on what quality really means in the context of Erasmus+ professional development. The ESEP announcement makes clear that the growth of the catalogue created real challenges around quality assurance, and that beneficiaries; teachers, school staff, and coordinators, have not always received the standard of training they deserved.

 

At Euromentor, we have been delivering professional development courses for teachers, adult educators, and VET trainers in Barcelona since 2019, and our courses are fully aligned with Erasmus+ quality standards under Key Action 1. Our Google reviews reflect the experiences of real participants from across Europe, and we invite anyone considering a course with us to read them before booking. 

 

During this transition period, and beyond it, we remain committed to the same standard of professional development that has earned us those reviews. Our team is available to support coordinators with any documentation needs and to help schools identify the courses that best fit their development priorities.

 

Looking Ahead

 

The ESEP pause is a temporary measure, and the team has committed to communicating further updates as the next Erasmus+ programme takes shape. What remains constant - regardless of platform changes - is the importance of choosing a course provider with a genuine, verifiable track record. As the Commission itself has acknowledged, quality in Erasmus+ mobility cannot be guaranteed by a listing alone.

 

We are here, we are open, and we are ready to welcome educators to Barcelona. Browse our courses here: https://euromentor.es/blog/2026-courses-in-barcelona/46 and calendar at euromentor.es, or contact us directly at info@euromentor.es or +34 664 795 896.