After the United Kingdom left the EU's Erasmus programme after Brexit in 2020, the European Commission now wants to open negotiations to allow free movement for millions of 18- to 30-year-olds for exchanges again.
With the decreased post-Brexit mobility between the EU and the UK particularly affecting young people's opportunities to go on exchange, the proposal would now partially reverse one of Brexit's most controversial elements: the right to live in each others' countries without a visa.
"The objective would be to facilitate youth exchanges, making it easier for young EU citizens to travel, work and live in the UK, with reciprocity for young UK nationals in a Member State," the Commission said.
The envisaged agreement would benefit both EU and UK citizens aged between 18 to 30 years, with eligible people being able to stay in the destination country for up to four years.
Breakthrough
In the past, the Commission had been strictly opposed to making any concessions to the UK after Brexit. Therefore, the EU's proposal is being considered a "breakthrough" in EU-UK relations.
The UK had already shown interest in the issue by reaching out to several Member States (including France) on youth mobility. With this proposal, the Commission now seeks to address the "matter of common concern" in an EU-wide manner, it said.
"The envisaged agreement would provide for limited-in-time mobility, subject to the fulfilment of conditions to be checked before the mobility can take place. The conditions should also be met during the stay," the statement said. "It is not about conferring to young UK nationals the benefits of the fundamental freedom of movement enjoyed by EU citizens."
At the time when the UK was an EU Member State, UK nationals – like all other EU citizens – had the right to move and reside freely within the EU. "This is not reinstated," the Commission stressed.
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The statement added that beneficiaries should be able to undertake different activities while in their destination country, such as studying, training, working or travelling. Additionally, mobility should not be subject to a quota system.
Before any concrete steps can be taken, the proposal to open negotiations on this topic will first have to be agreed on by leaders at the European Council in May.
More information about particular cases can be found in the Commission's statement.
