Burnham’s EU deals: youth visas, pet passports and what changes

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is preparing to announce a package of trade deals with the European Union worth billions of pounds, covering farming, youth visas, pet travel and carbon emissions, according to The Guardian. He is due to meet European leaders in Brussels on 20 November, where the agreements are expected to be unveiled.

What happened

The Guardian reports that officials on both sides have all but agreed three deals. One covers agriculture, one gives the UK access to the EU’s emissions trading scheme, and one creates a youth visa scheme for tens of thousands of people under 30. The final text for all three is said to be close, although some important details are still open. One of them is how many young people will be allowed to travel under the mobility scheme.

Burnham said on Tuesday that the agreement would add £17bn to the UK economy, an increase of 0.4%. He told the Economist: “A deal could add up to 0.4% to GDP. Now that is a number that you cannot ignore.” The government believes the agricultural agreement alone will be worth more than £5bn to the UK economy by 2040.

In Brussels, the prime minister will meet Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and António Costa, president of the European Council. According to The Guardian, parts of the agreement will not take effect until 2028. People close to the talks say disagreements over European industrial policy and UK university fees will not derail the process.

Not everyone welcomes the deal. Critics object that the UK will pay the EU for access to its emissions trading scheme. In their view, Britain is signing up to the same rules it wanted to avoid when it left the bloc. Burnham’s advisers think the package will help his wider effort to build much closer ties with the EU, and possibly to rejoin it. Speaking to ITV, he said: “Public opinion has changed nationally. But I want to be really clear on this issue. I will not run ahead of public opinion. The public need to be the boss when it comes to whatever happens with Brexit.”

Why it matters if you live in United Kingdom

Pet owners would see one of the most practical changes. Under the proposed agricultural deal, UK companies and travellers would no longer need a certificate to take live animals, including pets, into Europe. Owners would instead get a pet passport, so they would not have to complete the same paperwork before every trip. Anyone who regularly travels to the continent with a dog or cat would notice the difference.

Young people stand to gain from the proposed “youth experience scheme”. Britain and the EU would issue visas allowing people under 30 to live, work and travel in each other’s territories. The Guardian says both sides have agreed that each EU member state should have its own quota, so that the benefits and possible costs are spread out. The UK is also negotiating an emergency brake-style mechanism. If a member state refuses to issue its share of visas, the UK could limit how many of that country’s nationals can come to Britain.

The agricultural deal would let farmers sell freely to the continent and would free up trade in products including live molluscs and Scottish salmon. UK producers could keep selling some products that are banned under EU law, such as certain pesticides, for a “transition period”. The Guardian has also published a separate explainer on the food produce deal and whether it will affect shoppers.

Businesses face a change on emissions. The Guardian reports that the UK will pay the EU billions of pounds to avoid a cross-border carbon tax that comes into force next January. Under a separate agreement, the UK will join the EU emissions trading scheme so that it does not get caught by that tax.

Students and families from EU countries should note that talks have begun on a joint statement covering future cooperation, including tuition fees. A draft seen by The Guardian aims to reach an agreement on charging European students lower fees within six months. Earlier this week the paper reported that the UK was willing to spend hundreds of millions of pounds compensating universities for any lost income. That offer depends on the EU giving Britain access to its protectionist Made in Europe scheme.

EU nationals in the UK may also want to follow a related dispute. The EU has raised concerns about UK plans for an accelerated programme to deport “foreign national offenders from the UK to the EU”, and is pressing London to drop it.

What to watch next

The Brussels summit on 20 November is the next key date. Before then, negotiators still have to settle the size of the youth visa quotas and other remaining details.

The joint statement on future cooperation is less settled. The draft was prepared by the EU and the UK has not agreed to it. It describes the two sides as “trusted partners”, wording the UK believes would let it take part in Made in Europe. European countries are also pushing Britain to accept higher tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which UK ministers and businesses are resisting. The European draft says only that both sides will “cooperate closely and explore further solutions”. It also suggests the UK is likely to contribute to the EU’s “cohesion” budget, which helps poorer member states. The UK has not signed off on this, and The Guardian understands it is more likely to come in a future agreement.

Finally, Burnham is planning a major announcement on how the UK could work with the EU in future, including possible re-entry. Downing Street says it will come “around the time of the summit” but has not decided whether that means before, during or after. For anyone whose residency, studies, work or travel depends on the UK’s relationship with Europe, that speech may say more about the long-term direction than the trade deals themselves. For more coverage of UK politics, visit Mylistingo.

Source: The Guardian