The Labor Government of Keir Starmer closed this Wednesday an agreement with the Commission of Ursula von der Leyen for the “association” of the United Kingdom to Erasmus+ from 2027. This is one more step in the process of normalization of relations between Brussels and London after the trauma of the divorce.
“The United Kingdom’s association with Erasmus+ will offer significant opportunities in the fields of education, training, sport and youth, both for people in the United Kingdom and the European Union, especially for the younger generations,” say both parties in a joint statement.
The British Government maintains that in the first year alone more than 100,000 people in the United Kingdom could benefit from the program.
In the 2019/20 academic year, the last full year before the United Kingdom left Erasmus+, some 18,300 British students studied or completed internships abroad, while more than 30,500 young Europeans arrived at British universities.
“Returning to Erasmus+ is a great victory for our youth. It breaks down barriers and broadens horizons so that everyone, regardless of their origin, can study and train abroad,” said the British minister for relations with the EU, Nick Thomas-Symonds.
“Today’s agreements demonstrate that our new partnership with the EU works and that we have put citizens’ priorities at the center,” he highlighted.
“Today we take new steps in our renewed strategic partnership between the EU and the United Kingdom,” celebrated President Von der Leyen. “We are bringing back Erasmus+ for our young people, opening the door to new shared experiences and lasting friendships,” has written in his X account.
London boasts that it has given Brussels a 30% discount on the standard conditions to participate in the program. “This guarantees a good use of British taxpayers’ moneywhile ensuring all the benefits of participation in Erasmus+,” the British Government said in a statement.
The payment of 650 million euros only covers the 2027/28 academic year. London’s future contribution to the student exchange program will depend on the budget agreed by the EU for the next multiannual financial framework 2028-2034.
However, the Government of Starmer continues to disdain the EU’s offer to sign an agreement to facilitate youth mobility between 18 and 30 years old. Labor fears that a pact of this nature would mean restoring the free movement of people through the back door, one of the axes that drove the vote in favor of Brexit.
The United Kingdom and the European Commission have also concluded exploratory talks on British participation in the internal electricity market of the European Union, the details of which will be announced in letters that will be published in the coming days.
“Closer cooperation in electrical matters would bring real benefits for businesses and consumers across Europewould encourage investment in the North Sea and strengthen energy security“says the joint statement.