UK, EU Wrangle Over Students and Travel Ahead of Reset Summit

(Bloomberg) -- British and European Union negotiators wrangled over measures to ease travel for students, young workers and tourists this weekend, as the two sides raced to resolve policy disputes ahead of a summit meant to reset their fraught relationship.

Hours before Prime Minister Keir Starmer was scheduled to host Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders in London on Monday, the UK and the EU had still not agreed on plans for a youth exchange program, according to people familiar with the talks. The European side has balked at what it viewed as an unambitious offer that fell short of its desire for Britain to join its Erasmus student exchange program, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss private negotiations. 

The UK has so far been reluctant to support policies that could prompt an influx of students and young workers as Starmer seeks to curb immigration five years after Brexit. The lack of progress on youth mobility has made the EU cautious about signing off on other travel-related commitments that were expected in the agreement to be published on Monday, including on touring British artists and the right of UK citizens to use e-gates in EU countries, the people said.

There was still hope that a deal could be struck on travel, the people said, although they cautioned that the language might end up being more limited than hoped. In a sign of potential softening of the British position, Starmer told the Times newspaper that a deal on students could be possible, saying that “youth mobility is not freedom of movement.”

Student travel has been among several sticking points that have vexed negotiators in the weeks leading up to the summit, which was intended to affirm Starmer’s commitment to restoring relations with the continent since taking power last year. Old disputes over things like fishing rights have reemerged between the two sides despite their desire to show a united front as US President Donald Trump fractures the global trading system and tries to force Ukraine to make concessions to resolve its war of resistance against Russia’s invasion.

UK hopes that the EU would signal it’s ready to approve British participation in a €150 billion ($170 billion) European defense fund were also unresolved, with the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas saying on Friday that “we’re not there yet.” Earlier in the week, UK Defense Secretary John Healey told Bloomberg that talks with European officials were in their “hardest yards.”

The UK and EU are expected to outline their agreement in three documents: a defense and security partnership building on their joint response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, a common understanding on future cooperation — which would include the travel-related commitments — and a statement on a closer alliance in uncertain geopolitical times. While the EU is keen to rebuild ties with Britain, especially on security matters, many member states are wary about letting London cherry-pick the benefits of closer ties without accepting commitments like the free moment of people. 

Starmer met Von der Leyen, the European Commission president, on the margins of the European Political Community summit in Albania on Friday, as negotiations went down to the wire. The British prime minister has declined to engage in what he described as “megaphone diplomacy” with EU, although he said he was “positive” about the talks.

Under pressure from Brexit-campaigner Nigel Farage’s surging opposition party Reform UK, Starmer this week announced a crackdown on migration and faced criticism from the left for claiming Britain could become “an island of strangers,” rhetoric that highlighted his journey away from the politician who vowed to “defend free movement” when he won the Labour leadership five years ago.

The summit comes amid the busiest stretch of diplomacy by Starmer since he took office in July. In the past two weeks alone, he has visited Kyiv with other “Coalition of the Willing” leaders, announced a free trade agreement with India and a sealed a deal with Trump to ease tariffs. 

“In this time of great uncertainty and volatility, the UK will not respond by turning inwards but by proudly taking our place on the world stage — strengthening our alliances and closing deals in the interests of British people,” Starmer said in a statement on Saturday, adding that a new deal with Europe would be “good for our jobs, good for our bills and good for our borders.”

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