Deadline for UK–EU Youth Experience Scheme could be delayed to May 20

The deadline for agreeing terms on a UK–EU joint Youth Experience Scheme (YES) could be delayed by six months to May of 2027, ahead of a ‘reset’ summit on 20 November.

The scheme is intended to provide 18–30 year-olds from the UK or EU with visas to live, work, or study in either territory.

Only 10 countries currently have a comparable agreement with the UK, none of which are in the EU.

The scheme has become a source of tension in talks that are otherwise nearing completion, with both sides reluctant to concede on key positions.

The UK has reportedly been determined to limit the number of incoming EU citizens to 50,000 per year, in line with its earlier position during Keir Starmer’s premiership.

Some EU member states want no cap at all, while others want the cap to be significantly raised.

The EU has also pushed for EU students to pay lower tuition fees in the UK, though Brussels has reportedly proposed delaying this demand until after the summit.

EU citizens currently pay full international tuition fees, which are not capped by the government and can be up to six times higher than home fees. Before Brexit, EU students paid the lower home fees.

Irish citizens are an exception, as they can pay home fees under the Common Travel Area agreements between the UK and Ireland.

Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe, told Pod Save the UK that these issues could prove important enough for some EU member states to stall negotiations altogether.

The Guardian has also reported that French diplomats are unwilling to grant any extension to the deadline.

We are working together with the EU to create a balanced youth experience scheme which will create new opportunities for young people to live, work, study and travel

UK government spokesperson

A UK government spokesperson told The Guardian: “We are working together with the EU to create a balanced youth experience scheme which will create new opportunities for young people to live, work, study and travel.”

The negotiations come as Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s positions on Brexit and the UK’s relationship with the EU have come under increasing scrutiny.

The upcoming summit was originally planned for July, but was delayed following the end of Keir Starmer’s premiership.

Burnham told Parliament: “Our immediate priority is securing a successful outcome at the summit.”