with 50,000 one figure mooted,<\/a> but also potentially a \u201cmonitoring mechanism that allows you to restrict additional permits [visas] once you\u2019ve reached a certain level\u201d.<\/p>\nNumbers have to mutually acceptable<\/p>\n
His comments follow reports that the EU, which favours a totally uncapped scheme, was pushing for the latter, which would amount to an emergency brake to be activated if there was a surge in the number of visas being granted.<\/p>\n
The wrangling over a cap comes after the UK initially voiced scepticism about the scheme, which would allow young people to travel, work and study in both Britain and the EU for a time-limited period, due to concerns over previously record levels of net migration.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the gap between the UK and EU over a cap was bridgeable, Serrano told The i Paper: \u201cThere\u2019s an agreement already in the Common Understanding as regards numbers that are mutually acceptable, and that can be done in a variety of manners.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think we all want to stick by that agreement that numbers have to be mutually acceptable, whether you do it through a capping mechanism or a monitoring mechanism that allows you to restrict additional permits once you\u2019ve reached a certain level, or whatever formula is agreed by negotiators.\u201d<\/p>\n
Serrano also reiterated calls for the UK to lower university fees for EU students, charging them domestic rather than international rates, which are much higher.<\/p>\n
The ambassador made the point that UK citizens going to the EU on the scheme will benefit from \u201csubsidies\u201d by European governments which mean university is cheaper on the continent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issue is basically ensuring that British universities will continue to remain accessible for normal EU citizens and here, the situation is different in continental Europe, where most of the universities are subsidised by the state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite the differences between the two sides, Serrano said: \u201cI think this is going to happen, that we\u2019re going to have an agreement with the youth experience scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gaps remain between the two sides<\/p>\n
But in a sign of the gaps that remain between the two sides on the issue, Brexit reset minister Nick Thomas-Symonds appeared to reject the idea of an emergency brake in a separate interview with The i Paper.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the UK\u2019s existing youth mobility schemes with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, which include hard quotas for the number of people who can obtain visas to come to the UK.<\/p>\n
Asked by The i Paper if the UK could accept an emergency brake, Thomas-Symonds said: \u201cNo, it is the way that it is set out in the Common Understanding with a limit and it is also in the context of the 13 youth mobility schemes that already exists, that is what the Common Understanding says, that is what I have always said.\u201d<\/p>\n
The minister also insisted demands to lower UK university fees for EU students is \u201cnot something that\u2019s up for discussion, it\u2019s not in the Common Understanding\u201d.<\/p>\n
But he stressed: \u201cI am always optimistic that we can make progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very much looking forward to the political debate on this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two leading figures spoke as the UK and EU prepare to conclude negotiations on the youth experience scheme, a food and drink deal to ease trade and help with the cost of living, and linking carbon markets by the next summit between the two sides, due before the end of the year.<\/p>\n
New plan to make life easier for touring artists<\/p>\n
The next summit, as last May\u2019s did, is also expected to set out new ambitions for the UK-EU relationship after Sir Keir Starmer said last month that \u201cwe have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU\u201d due to the damage caused by Brexit.<\/p>\n
Thomas-Symonds said this would not involve any kind of customs union with the EU, despite the Prime Minister\u2019s own economic adviser and Deputy PM David Lammy appearing to favour that approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is ruled out,\u201d Thomas-Symonds said.<\/p>\n
Instead, the UK will use the summit to push for the EU to make life easier for touring artists and recognise British professional qualifications for work in Europe in the next phase of the Brexit reset.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be annual summits for new issues and two of those that I would highlight would be around the cultural sector, around touring artists, can we make more progress on that, on services \u2013 the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) obviously neglects services \u2013 we want to move forward on mutual recognition of professional qualifications,\u201d Thomas-Symonds said.<\/p>\n
Serrano said Brussels is \u201cready to make progress\u201d on professional qualifications but said the rules must work both ways, for example so neither side can ask for \u201cadditional exams\u201d to recognise people\u2019s qualifications.<\/p>\n
The ambassador warned that movement on touring artists would not be \u201csimple\u201d, because it cuts across many regulations including around movement of vehicles, movements of merchandise as well as customs and visa regulations, adding: \u201cIt\u2019s a complex issue, it\u2019s not something that you can just with one brush stroke sort out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Food and drink alignment by the end of 2026<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the UK\u2019s first focus is introducing legislation in \u201cthe early part of the year\u201d to make dynamic alignment with EU rules on food and drink and emissions trading a reality by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
\t\tYour next read<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t![\"Article](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SEI_220823879.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cYou are going to see us making the case for dynamic alignment in those areas, in the national interest, with an independent arbitration panel, that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ll be doing in Parliament,\u201d Thomas-Symonds said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the framework I am negotiating in \u2013 no customs union, no single market, no freedom of movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I say is this \u2013 I am actually delivering here that closer UK-EU relationship that\u2019s in the national interest and I think you have seen proof of that in recent days.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The two leading figures in the Brexit reset negotiations have said they are confident of reaching an agreement…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5226],"tags":[802,748,2000,299,5187,1699,4884,6657,3027,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-655813","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brexit","8":"tag-brexit","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-european","13":"tag-european-union","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-migration","16":"tag-politics-news","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115785778912207635","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}