UK Eyes Scaled-Down Youth Exchange Pact in Wider EU Talks
(Bloomberg) -- The UK is exploring a slimmed-down version of the European Union’s youth mobility proposal as part of a wider set of discussions seeking closer ties on defense and trade, people familiar with the matter said.
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Officials are in the early stages of seeking a way to deliver on a key EU demand to facilitate the regular exchange of students while avoiding adding to net migration, according to the people, who asked not to be named disclosing private discussions. Such an exchange could encompass university students and young people doing technical courses or language programs and be broader than the Erasmus program that the UK left during Brexit, they said.
The two sides expect to begin wider negotiations on trade and defense in coming months as Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to deliver on a Labour Party election promise to reset relations with the EU five years after leaving the bloc. The premier’s challenge is to balance his desire for closer EU ties — and the accompanying boost to economic growth that might bring — with a promise to cut net migration, which has soared since Brexit and the pandemic.
The EU last year proposed an agreement for EU and UK citizens between 18 to 30 years to stay in the destination country for as long as four years. Starmer has repeatedly said his government has no plans for a youth mobility program, but UK officials are looking at ways to find a middle ground that would be more limited in scope and length and focused on education. Bloomberg was first to reveal that Labour was open to finding a landing zone on youth mobility in June.
“The UK and EU have agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including the economy, security and resilience,” the British government said in a statement. “A broad security and defense agreement and closer cooperation with the EU on issues like migration will make the UK safer and more prosperous.”
A spokesperson reiterated a promise not to take Britain back into the EU single market, customs union or freedom of movement, while saying the government won’t provide a running commentary on the discussions.
The main challenge is how to manage the number of EU students staying in the UK under such a program: one option is a quota, which mirrors youth programs the UK has with other countries, according to the people. Although the British government would ideally like to see the same number of EU students arrive as UK students leave under the program, historically demand has been higher from the bloc.
Starmer’s administration is also planning to shift from its hitherto reluctance to provide details of its thinking on a wider rapprochement, to more confident messaging on the need for closer relations with its closest trading partner, the people said. That’s been spurred by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ search for growth, which has been severely impacted by Britain’s exit from the bloc.
The UK wish list includes a security and defense pact, a veterinary agreement to ease trade friction for fresh food, a touring visa for artists, and mutual recognition of professional qualifications so auditors, medics, architects and lawyers can practice in both the UK and EU.
The UK hopes detailed talks will follow a UK-EU summit, being penciled in for as early as April and likely to be held in London, though German elections may delay negotiations, the people said. At that summit, the UK is eyeing an initial EU agreement on security and defense, and is likely also to set out which further areas it intends to seek agreement on, the people said. A more substantial deal would follow later, they said.
The UK is also examining mini trade pacts that would ease costs and burdens on British businesses while retaining a promise not to rejoin the EU single market or customs union. That includes potential membership of the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) convention, whereby UK firms would be able to choose between trading under the Brexit agreement or PEM rules.
Reeves earlier this week suggested she’d examine the possibility of joining the customs framework, which helps broaden the supply chain companies can use in their trade between the bloc and other countries in Europe and North Africa.
“We are absolutely happy to look at these different proposals because we know the deal the previous government secured is not working well enough,” she said, referring to Britain’s Brexit agreement with the EU.
--With assistance from Joe Mayes.
(Updates with government statement in fifth, sixth paragraphs.)
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