UK to rejoin EU's Erasmus+ student mobility fund in 2027

The European Union and United Kingdom have finalised a deal to reintegrate British students into the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027, seven years after the UK formally left the EU, including all its institutions and bodies.

The British government had been under considerable pressure from student bodies including universities to rejoin Erasmus, but had resisted due its popularity with European citizens and a history of proportionately lower takeup by British students studying in the EU.

However, London will contribute £570m (€650m) in the 2027/28 academic year, which the UK government says is 30% less than the price for non-EU states.

Erasmus+ offers opportunities around education, training, youth, culture and sport. More than 100,000 people from the UK are likely to benefit in 2027, according to the British government.

“Joining Erasmus+ is a huge win for our young people, breaking down barriers and widening horizons to ensure everyone, from every background has the opportunity to study and train abroad”, said EU Relations Minister Nick-Thomas Symonds in a statement.

The EU and UK have also announced plans for further integration into the EU’s electricity market.

“Closer cooperation on electricity would bring real benefits to businesses and consumers across Europe, drive up investment in the North Seas and strengthen energy security”, said a joint statement from Joint Statement by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič and Minister Symonds.

Coming together

The EU and UK share the view that closer economic ties are in the interests of both sides following a turbulent, extended and at times rancorous Brexit process. But the initial optimism for a substantially closer relationship has waned in Brussels given what is often described as the UK’s “piecemeal” approach to close ties.

The EU-UK held their first post-Brexit summit in May, a meeting intended to scope out areas of shared concern and cooperation, namely in the areas of Trade, Defence and Youth Mobility.

Yet subsequent negotiations aimed at the UK joining the EU’s landmark Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund as a third party failed at the final hurdle because of a dispute over the cost of the UK’s membership.

Meanwhile, Canada announced its participation in early December, citing “tremendous opportunities” for its defence industry and becoming the first non-European country to join.

In addition, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the UK government has consistently ruled out rejoining the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union, both of which are widely regarded among pro-European British politicians as the most logical way of strengthening the economic prospects for UK-EU relations.