Disagreements over migration limits and university tuition fees are emerging as key obstacles in negotiations over a new UK-EU youth mobility scheme, despite both sides expressing confidence that a deal can still be reached as part of the wider Brexit reset.
The EU’s ambassador to the UK, Pedro Serrano, said Brussels could accept mechanisms to control the number of young people coming to Britain under a new under-30s visa scheme, but suggested an emergency brake may be preferable to a strict annual cap.
Speaking to The i Paper, Serrano said both sides had already agreed at May’s Brexit reset summit that any youth experience scheme must be “balanced” and operate “on terms to be mutually agreed”. He argued that balancing numbers could be achieved in several ways.
While the UK has favoured a hard cap, with a figure of around 50,000 previously discussed, Serrano said this was not the only option. He suggested a “monitoring mechanism that allows you to restrict additional permits [visas] once you’ve reached a certain level”, which would effectively act as an emergency brake if applications surged.
His comments follow reports that the EU, which would prefer a fully uncapped scheme, is pushing for such a safeguard rather than a fixed limit. The debate comes after initial UK scepticism over the proposal, driven by concerns about high net migration levels.
Asked whether the gap between the UK and EU positions was bridgeable, Serrano said: “There’s an agreement already in the Common Understanding as regards numbers that are mutually acceptable, and that can be done in a variety of manners.”
He added: “We all want to stick by that agreement that numbers have to be mutually acceptable, whether you do it through a capping mechanism or a monitoring mechanism that allows you to restrict additional permits once you’ve reached a certain level, or whatever formula is agreed by negotiators.”
University fees have also become a sticking point. Serrano reiterated calls for the UK to reduce tuition fees for EU students, arguing they should be charged domestic rates rather than higher international fees. He said young Britons studying in the EU under the scheme would benefit from subsidised university systems on the continent.
“The issue is basically ensuring that British universities will continue to remain accessible for normal EU citizens,” he said, noting that most European universities are state-subsidised.
Despite the unresolved issues, Serrano said he remained confident that a deal would be struck, adding: “I think this is going to happen, that we’re going to have an agreement with the youth experience scheme.”
However, signs of continuing disagreement emerged in comments from the UK’s Brexit reset minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, who appeared to rule out the idea of an emergency brake.
He pointed to existing UK youth mobility schemes with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, all of which operate with fixed quotas. Asked whether the UK could accept an emergency brake, he said: “No, it is the way that it is set out in the Common Understanding with a limit.”
Thomas-Symonds also rejected EU calls to lower tuition fees for EU students, saying it was “not something that’s up for discussion” and was not included in the agreed framework. However, he said he remained optimistic about progress, adding: “I’m very much looking forward to the political debate on this.”
The comments come as the UK and EU work towards concluding negotiations on several elements of the Brexit reset, including the youth experience scheme, a food and drink agreement to ease trade and costs, and linking carbon markets. These discussions are expected to be finalised ahead of the next UK-EU summit, due before the end of the year.
That summit is also expected to outline broader ambitions for closer UK-EU relations, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said last month that Britain must “keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU” to address the economic damage caused by Brexit.
Thomas-Symonds stressed that this would not involve rejoining a customs union, saying such a move was “ruled out”. Instead, the UK plans to push for measures to make life easier for touring artists and to secure mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
He said annual summits would be used to address new issues, highlighting the cultural sector and services, which were largely excluded from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. “We want to move forward on mutual recognition of professional qualifications,” he said.
Serrano said the EU was “ready to make progress” on recognising qualifications, but warned any system must work both ways and avoid additional exams or barriers. He also cautioned that resolving issues around touring artists would be complex, cutting across vehicle movements, merchandise rules, customs and visas.
Meanwhile, the UK plans to introduce legislation early next year to enable dynamic alignment with EU rules on food, drink and emissions trading, with the aim of having new arrangements in place by the end of 2026.
