A "youth experience" scheme, a promise the UK will re-join the EU’s Erasmus+ exchange programme and a move to allow Britons travelling to use eGates at passport control are among the terms of a deal announced after the first post-Brexit EU-UK summit.
Although there are no set dates for when these arrangements become effective - the finer details will have to be fleshed out in the coming months - the UK and the European Commission have agreed to proceed “swiftly”.
The deals around eGates, pet passports and Erasmus+ were part of a broad agreement announced on Monday that's aimed at resetting the relationship between the EU and the UK after the fraught years of Brexit and the post-referendum talks.
The overall agreement includes a defence and security pact which will pave the way for the UK industry to participate in the EU’s recently proposed £150 billion defence fund, a joint statement on geopolitical issues, including continued support for Ukraine, and a ‘common understanding’ on which areas the EU and the UK will develop cooperation in the future.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this was “a historic moment” and the chance to open a "new chapter" in relations.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “It’s time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.”
Whilst most of the press coverage of the deal focussed on security and fishing rights, here are the key areas of the deal that will affect British and EU nationals.
E-gates
As part of the deal, British holidaymakers “will be able to use more e-gates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control,” the UK government said in a statement.
The official document says that the UK and the Commission “will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of eGates where appropriate” and “there will be no legal barriers to e-gates use for British nationals travelling to and from the European Union member states after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System”.
Under the deal each EU country will decide if UK citizens can use e-gates but the UK PM wants to push countries to adopt it.
“I call on all EU members to help make this a reality without delay,” said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the press conference presenting the deal.
Pet passports
A sanitary and phytosanitary agreement will also be developed going forward to allow on a permanent basis “the vast majority of movements of animals, animal products, plants, and plant products” without current certificates or controls. This will make it easier to import and export food and drink products, following strong demand from UK businesses.
“The EU is the UK’s largest trading partner. After the 21 percent drop in exports and 7 percent drop in imports seen since Brexit, the UK will also be able to sell various products, such as burgers and sausages, back into the EU again, supporting these vital British industries,” added the UK government.
The statement says that “pets will also be able to travel more easily, with the introduction of ‘pet passports’ for UK cats and dogs – eliminating the need for animal health certificates for every trip.”
In exchange, current arrangements on the access for the EU fishing fleet to UK waters, which would have expired next year, will be extended until 2038.
Youth mobility
The EU and the UK agreed to deepen “people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation.”
This includes the development of a “youth experience scheme” that would make it easier for people up to 30 years old to move across the Channel to study, work, volunteer, or just travel “for a limited period of time”.
READ ALSO: How would a youth mobility scheme between the EU and the UK work?
The specific terms will have to be defined, including the length of such experiences, but there will be a “dedicated visa path” and the overall number of participants will have to be “acceptable to both sides,” according to the document.
A UK government statement says that “the scheme, which would be capped and time-limited, would mirror existing schemes the UK has with countries such as Australia and New Zealand”.
Since the UK withdrawal from the EU, mobility is governed on both sides by national immigration rules. Despite reports in UK tabloids, the new scheme will not be equivalent to pre-Brexit free movement, because it involves visas, it sets time limits and does not foresee mobility rights in the EU for UK nationals.
Erasmus programme
The UK and the European Commission also agreed to work towards the association of the UK to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, again with specific terms, particularly financial terms, still to be specified.
“I'm so glad that we have agreed that we will have Erasmus+ for young people, and that we will work towards a youth experience scheme… this will allow the next generation to once again live and study in each other's countries, and this will build friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Cultural exchange
The deal document also said efforts will continue “to support travel and cultural exchange” but nothing specific was agreed on resolving the problems currently experienced by touring artists.
Professional qualifications
In addition, “dedicated dialogues” will be established on the implementation of the current trade agreement, “as regards entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes”. This will concern sponsorship schemes and the recognition of professional qualifications.
Irregular migration
The UK and the EU will also increase cooperation in tackling irregular migration and “explore possible deterrence mechanisms and other innovative solutions.”
“The European Commission and the United Kingdom will explore closer cooperation to address challenges related to visa policy such as exchanging analysis on visa abuse by third country nationals,” the document says.
More cooperation was further agreed on justice and home affairs, with the UK getting access to some EU databases. In particular, on criminal matters, the UK will enter talks about access to EU facial images data, on top of the existing arrangements for DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data.
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