By Eniola Amadu
The United Kindom is aiming to conclude a deal in the coming weeks as part of its efforts to return to the EU’s leading student exchange scheme and rebuild stronger ties with Brussels.
According to two UK and EU officials, the negotiators are working towards sealing the deal by January. This will enable the UK to participate in Erasmus starting from 2027.
Following the claim by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the scheme offered poor returns on investment, the UK exited Erasmus.
At the UK-EU summit in May, the Labour administration agreed to resume negotiations and has been working to lower the expense of UK participation.
During a press conference, Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, noted that there is a need to move closer to the EU.
“It is clear from all analysis that the [Brexit] deal we’ve got has hurt our economy. That’s why we’ve rebuilt and reset relations with the EU, and I’m proud that we’ve done that. That is why we’re moving forward,” he said.
“For economic renewal, we have to keep reducing frictions. We have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU, and we have to be grown-up about that, to accept that this will require trade-offs,” the Prime Minister added, emphasizing the need to participate in open trade.
The EU ambassador to the United Kindom Pedro Serrano, said: “The EU is also seeking a closer relationship with the UK. In today’s challenging times for Europe, this is what our citizens expect. Europe’s prosperity, security, and democracy are closely interlinked. Stronger relations between the EU and the UK will bring a stronger Europe.”
The Cabinet Office minister leading negotiations with Brussels, Nick Thomas-Symonds, spoke to his EU counterpart, Maroš Šefčovič, with a meeting scheduled to be held in Brussels on December 10.
“We have made good progress since the UK-EU reset summit, including starting negotiations in the last fortnight on a food and drink deal to slash red tape for businesses and bring down prices,” a government spokesman said.
“At the summit in May, we agreed to work towards association with Erasmus+, ensuring it is on the right terms for the UK. Those talks are ongoing. Throughout this process, we’re putting the national interest first, building a closer trading relationship that is good for jobs, bills, and borders,” he added.
