The European Commission has proposed opening negotiations with the UK to allow free movement enjoyed before Brexit to millions of 18- to 30-year-olds in a major concession.
It said it would now seek approval from individual EU leaders to start the talks, which could partly eliminate one of the most controversial elements of Brexit, a block on the right to live in each other’s countries visa-free.
Under the envisaged agreement, EU and UK citizens aged between 18 and 30 would be able to stay for up to four years in the destination country, the European Commission said in a detailed statement.
“The objective would be to facilitate youth exchanges, making it easier for young EU citizens to travel, work and live in the UK, with reciprocity for young UK nationals in a member state,” the Commission said.
The decision by the Commission, which has in the past been vehemently opposed to making any concessions to the UK sought since Brexit, is seen as a major breakthrough in UK-EU relations.
The proposal to open negotiation must first be agreed by leaders at the European Council, which next meets in May, but represents a major concession that would roll back a key element of Brexit.
If approved, it would mean millions of young people could come to the UK to fill the gap left by Brexit in the hospitality sector, but also in universities.
It would also mean seasonal work, ranging from restaurant work to seasonable jobs in ski resorts would be available again to British young people.
It may also make it easier for UK and EU universities to recruit researchers, particularly those involve in the Horizon science research programme.
The Swedish minister for European affairs, Jessika Roswall, told the Guardian: “Sweden has pushed for this and we feel this is very important for the youth and students in the EU and the UK, they are the winners.”
In an announcement, the European Commission said it had acted after the UK had made a number of approaches to individual EU countries, known to include France, to open a youth mobility scheme.
UK ministers have argued that it would not be a backtracking on one of the key elements of Brexit, the end of free movement for British citizens.
They argued that France already had such an agreement with Canada, and Australia had a similar deal with the UK, and that it would be an important way to foster cultural exchange for future generations.
“Mobility would not be purpose-bound, ie beneficiaries should be able to undertake different activities during that period, such as studying, training, working or travelling, neither would mobility be subject to a quota system,” said the Commission.
It also said it did not represent a rolling-back on freedom of movement.
“The envisaged agreement would provide for limited-in-time mobility, subject to the fulfilment of conditions to be checked before the mobility can take place. The conditions should also be met during the stay. It is not about conferring to young UK nationals the benefits of the fundamental freedom of movement enjoyed by EU citizens,” it said.
It added that Brexit had particularly “affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges”.
It also said that an bloc-wide deal was preferable to a series of bilaterals as it would ensure equal treatment for every person in the scheme.