EU Diplomats Say UK-EU Youth Mobility Deadline May Slip Six Months
EU diplomats say a UK-EU youth mobility deadline could be deferred six months to help secure a successful reset summit on 20 November.
The story in focus
EU diplomats say a deadline for a UK-EU youth mobility scheme could be deferred by six months to help secure a successful reset summit on 20 November, The Guardian reports. Visa quotas, tuition fees and the NHS surcharge remain unresolved, while food and drink trade and emissions trading talks are near completion.
- The Guardian reports EU ambassadors in Brussels were told the UK still insists on international tuition fees, quotas and an NHS surcharge for EU students.
- The UK is said to seek a cap of about 50,000 a year on youth experience scheme visas; some member states want 100,000 to 500,000, and others want no cap.
- EU-UK talks on a food and drink trade deal and the emissions trading system are described as almost complete.
- One diplomat said there is an emerging consensus around a European Commission proposal to remove tuition fees from the package and commit to negotiating by May 2027.
Unresolved terms ahead of the summit
The Guardian reports that EU ambassadors in Brussels heard on Wednesday that the UK was still insisting on international tuition fees, quotas and an NHS surcharge for EU students, fuelling fears the 20 November summit could fail.
The UK is said to continue pushing for a cap of about 50,000 a year on the numbers allowed in for work, travel or study under the proposed youth experience scheme visas. Some EU member states want a cap of between 100,000 and 500,000, while others want none.
According to the report, the UK also insists that visa holders pay the £1,035 NHS surcharge, though a 25% discount has been suggested. Tuition fees are described as the thorniest problem, with UK universities pressing the government to keep full international fees for EU citizens.
Other files and divisions
The Guardian reports that negotiations on a food and drink trade deal and the emissions trading system are almost complete, while views on youth mobility remain divided. One diplomat said member states disagreed on whether to keep the three issues together.
The report says talks on the UK rejoining the EU energy market will continue after 20 November because of state aid and oversight barriers. Diplomats were described as divided on removing tuition fees from the table; one said an emerging consensus favoured a European Commission proposal to commit both sides to negotiate a solution by May 2027.
What remains unresolved in the UK-EU youth mobility talks before the 20 November summit?
The Guardian reports the UK still insists on international tuition fees, visa quotas and the NHS surcharge for EU students. A cap of about 50,000 a year is sought by the UK, while some member states want 100,000 to 500,000 or no cap.
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