EU and UK may postpone youth mobility deadline — The Guardian
In Brussels, the European Union and the United Kingdom may postpone by six months the deadline for a reciprocal youth mobility scheme in order not to jeopardize a summit on resetting relations scheduled for November 20. The Guardian reports this, citing diplomats.
Disagreements over visas and education
According to the publication, London insists on applying international tuition fees, quotas and the UK National Health Service health surcharge to students from the EU. The British side also proposes limiting to around 50,000 per year the number of EU citizens who will be able to come to the country for work, travel or study under Youth Experience Scheme visas.
Some EU states are seeking a significantly higher quota of up to 500,000 people per year, while others oppose any restrictions. The UK also insists that holders of such visas pay a health surcharge of £1,035, although, according to sources, the possibility of a 25% discount was discussed.
The scheme is intended to be reciprocal and allow people under the age of 30 on both sides to work, travel or study in the UK and EU countries. At the same time, negotiations on the matter remain deadlocked, according to The Guardian.
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Tuition fees and other negotiations
The most difficult issue remains the cost of education. British universities are urging the government to retain international tuition fees for EU citizens, which at the University of Oxford can reach £69,190 per year.
One diplomat reported the emergence of a consensus around the European Commission's proposal to take the issue of tuition fees outside the current package of agreements. In a joint statement on November 20, the sides could record their intention to negotiate a solution to the issue by May 2027. At the same time, according to several diplomats, the EU still has no common position on this approach.
Negotiations on an agreement on trade in food and beverages and on an emissions trading system are nearly complete. Discussions on the UK's reintegration into the EU energy market are expected to continue after November 20 because of issues involving state aid, oversight mechanisms and the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
France and some other countries, according to diplomats, insist on an “all or nothing” approach. Other states believe that postponing one of the issues could make it possible to move on to broader topics of economic cooperation, security and defence.
