BRUSSELS – British under-30s will soon find it easier to study, work and live in EU countries – and vice versa – under plans unveiled by the European Commission on Thursday aimed at restoring some of the freedoms lost due to Brexit. Of course.

The European Commission on Thursday proposed opening negotiations with the UK on a “deal to promote youth mobility”, which would mean British citizens could study, work and live freely in the EU and young Europeans could do the same in the UK.

The proposal is likely to appeal to any future Labor government, with opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he would seek stronger ties with Europe if elected.

The UK government approached several EU member states last year to negotiate a scheme modeled on the UK’s youth mobility visa scheme. However, they were rejected because it would result in differential treatment of EU nationals and would not solve the tuition fee issue.

No 10 distanced itself from proposals to support a full Commission deal on youth freedoms with the EU. A Downing Street spokesman said the British government favors reaching individual agreements with various countries.

“The UK does have a number of these plans in place at a bilateral level and we will do so where it is in the best interests of the UK,” she said. “As long as it meets our requirement to balance the introduction of skills into the UK and the exchange of those skills, but at the same time ensures it is consistent with our aim of promoting and nurturing British talent and skills, we will do it.”

She added that the UK wanted to “reduce legal immigration” and “support British talent and skills”.

“That’s why we have a system in place where we have a set of agreements with individual EU member states that are in our interests, rather than an agreement for the European Commission as a whole,” she said.

A Labor spokesman said: “This is a proposal from the European Commission to EU member states, not the UK. The UK government is reportedly engaging with other European countries to try to establish liquidity arrangements.

“Labour has no plans for a youth mobility scheme. We have put forward a number of practical ways to improve relations and deliver services for UK businesses and consumers, including seeking a veterinary agreement to tackle trade barriers, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and improving access for artists. Tour opportunities.”

The move comes four years after the UK left the EU and withdrew from the popular Erasmus student exchange scheme, despite assurances from Brussels that the UK could remain in the scheme.

“Brexit is a particularly hard blow to the EU and to young people in the UK who want to study, work and live abroad,” said European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. “Today we take the first step towards an ambitious but realistic deal between the EU and the UK that will tackle this problem. Our aim is to rebuild people-to-people ties between young Europeans on both sides of the Channel The human bridge.”

The European Commission said it wanted to “create a right for young people to make it easier and longer to travel from the EU to the UK and vice versa”. The planned agreement will set out conditions, including age and maximum length of stay (the commission said it should be between 18 and 30 years old, with a maximum stay of four years) as well as eligibility conditions and rules for verifying compliance.

The proposal adds that British citizens will only have access to mobility within the member state to which they are admitted and not within the other 26 EU countries.

The Commission also wants EU and UK students to be treated equally when it comes to fees: switching from “home” to “international” status after Brexit will cost EU students between £11,400 and £38,000 per year. Student visas are another issue and can cost £490, while health surcharges are usually £776 per year.

Austrian MEP Andreas Schiedel said the European Parliament overwhelmingly supports the restoration of student mobility. “We are all very much in favor. There is no reason for anyone to object,” he told I. “We want European students to pay the same fees as British students. It would be perfect if it was like before, but it needs to be negotiated.”

He said the UK’s refusal to participate in any student scheme, despite being offered by the EU, was a political decision made by a government driven by Brexit.

“It’s ideological,” he said. “They said they wanted a clean break. But they certainly understand now that British students and British universities are suffering. Now we have an opportunity to get back to where we were.”

The UK also withdrew from the Horizon Europe research program four years ago amid calls from the scientific community, but rejoined the program last year.

Last year, the European Movement submitted a petition to Downing Street calling for the UK to return to the Erasmus scheme, which has been signed by 40,000 people, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, former Green Party leader Carlo Lyn Lucas and former Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable.

The move was welcomed by the Best Britain campaign group, which called on Rishi Sunak to restore free movement.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said: “The UK government must now respond in kind. “Until the EU-UK reciprocal youth mobility scheme is formalised, our young people will continue to be Depriving their parents and older siblings of the irreplaceable upbringing they enjoyed because they did not vote for the failed Brexit project.”

A Best for Britain poll last year of more than 10,000 voters showed that 68% supported a new reciprocal youth mobility scheme with the EU and 61% supported the UK joining the Erasmus scheme.

The move has also been welcomed by the British Youth Council, a youth-led charity across the UK.

Maurizio Cuttin, UK Youth Council representative, said: “This is not only a welcome step, but a necessary one, as there is a desire for closer bilateral ties between the EU and UK youth sectors, and young people more broadly. , cross-channel relationships.” UK Youth Ambassador.