The EU has warned Britain that it will not sign off on a deal to cut red tape on food imports unless the Government agrees to bring back freedom of movement for young Europeans.
The Prime Minister is under pressure to deliver on Labour’s election pledge of cheaper supermarket and household goods by 2027. A sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with Brussels is seen as central to that plan, especially as food inflation has climbed to an 18-month high, reported GB News.
Labour’s EU negotiator Nick Thomas-Symonds met with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Wednesday. After the meeting, he said: “Our target for the SPS agreements, which will benefit our agri-food industries, is to have them implemented by 2027.”
An agreement in principle was reached in May, but EU officials are clear that the deal will not move forward without progress on a youth mobility scheme. The plan would give freedom of movement to Europeans aged 18 to 30 – more than 73 million people – to live and work in the UK.
German ambassador Miguel Berger said earlier this year the scheme was “an important element” of any agreement. Despite insisting Britain has “no plans” to reopen its borders, Thomas-Symonds has stopped short of ruling it out. Reports suggest Brussels made it clear this week that youth mobility is its top priority and it will not sign a deal until numbers are agreed.
The pressure is mounting on Britain’s agri-food industry too. A poor harvest after a dry summer has pushed up costs, making cheaper imports all the more urgent. One European diplomat told The Times: “Doing an SPS deal is more urgent for the Brits than it is for us. It is not our big priority in the negotiation and if the UK wants that agreement by 2027 there will have to be movement and a deal on youth mobility. Numbers and the limit on numbers will be at the centre of that negotiation.”
Thomas-Symonds has hinted at a softer line. In a recent speech at the College of Europe he said: “On youth mobility, we believe that giving the opportunity for young people to learn and get experience is vital… giving young people across the UK and EU a chance to study, work, live abroad – build friendships, understanding and creating opportunities.”
However, UK sources say any scheme would have to be capped to keep immigration under control. That would give ministers some room to negotiate while showing voters they are not handing Brussels a blank cheque.
Last year, Mark English from European Movement UK urged Labour to rethink its stance. “It is time for a grown-up discussion, so the Government should reconsider its inexplicable hostility to a youth mobility scheme with the EU. After all, the UK has youth mobility schemes with 13 other countries – including Australia and Japan – so it makes sense to have one with our nearest neighbours and closest partners.”
With both sides digging in, the coming months will show whether the promise of cheaper food by 2027 is realistic – or whether the EU’s demand for youth mobility proves the sticking point.
