Brussels and London have agreed to hold a long-delayed summit on 22 July to ‘reset’ post-Brexit relations, European Council president António Costa announced on the margins of the G7. The meeting was twice postponed while officials haggled over a youth mobility programme that would let under-30s live, work and study in each other’s territories without full work visas. For British corporates the breakthrough matters: a reciprocal short-term mobility framework could slash administrative burdens for seconding junior staff into the EU and restore talent pipelines for seasonal and graduate roles. EU diplomats warn, however, that concessions on tuition-fee parity for EU students and mutual recognition of professional qualifications are on the table. The summit agenda also includes a sanitary-and-phytosanitary agreement to reduce border checks on food exports, discussions on linking emissions-trading schemes and cooperation on critical supply chains. Any side-deals struck in July would feed into the UK’s autumn Immigration Rule updates, so mobility teams should monitor draft texts closely. Political risk remains. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces domestic pressure not to ‘re-run freedom of movement’ while several EU states want stricter conditions on healthcare access for UK nationals. Even so, officials in both camps say the youth scheme is a ‘red line’ for the reset and expect a headline agreement this summer.
Source: The Guardian
