At the UK-EU summit on 19th May 2025, delegates reached agreements on a number of points, including some concerning education.
Easier travel
One of the main outcomes was the agreement to work towards making it easier for young people to travel for study and work for a limited time in both regions.
Delegates agreed that the initiative will include a mutually agreed number of participants and a ‘dedicated visa pathway’ to enable young people to expand their cultural horizons by going abroad to study, work, volunteer or travel.
As part of this, both parties will ‘continue their exchanges’ on facilitating easier access for travellers, as part of the forthcoming Entry/Exit System (EES) due to start in October 2025. This will include further talks on the use of eGates at borders.
Youth, training and sport
The UK and EU Commission also agreed to work towards ‘associating’ the UK to the EU Erasmus+ programme that supports youth, education, training and sport.
Once this work is completed, the UK would sit alongside the existing 6 non-EU associated countries of Norway, Türkiye, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Serbia and Iceland.
Valuing cultural experiences
Right now, it’s very difficult for musicians and touring artists to travel to the EU to work, as there was no provision made for this in the Brexit deal.
Yesterday’s discussions saw the EU and UK, ‘recognise the value of travel and cultural and artistic exchanges, including the activities of touring artists’, and they will continue discussions on how to improve the current situation.
Read the full EU-UK statement here.
