Ministers are heading to Brussels this week for talks amid a standoff over university tuition fees for European students, highlighting the complexities of the UK's 'reset' with the EU nearly a decade after the Brexit vote. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, joined by Europe minister Stephen Doughty and trade minister Chris Bryant, will attend a meeting of the joint EU-UK parliamentary partnership assembly on Monday.
The dispute centres on Brussels' demand for lower tuition fees for EU students, who currently pay international rates of up to £60,000 a year, compared to domestic fees of around £9,500. The European Commission wants all EU students to be charged domestic fees, a move that would cost British universities an estimated £140 million annually. UK officials describe the proposal as a 'non-starter'.
Analysts warn the row could jeopardise the entire reset, which includes three main agreements due to be finalised by summer. While the UK seeks deals on food and agriculture and emissions trading, the EU is prioritising youth mobility and may hold out on other agreements if the fee issue is unresolved. Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe said: 'The standoff reveals that the EU will play hardball and that the reset is more fragile than the government seems to think.'
Despite the impasse, sources close to the talks express optimism, noting improved relationships between negotiators. Both sides show signs of compromise: the Treasury and Department for Education are analysing the cost of accepting the proposal, while Brussels is open to a fee reduction short of full equalisation. One insider said: 'This is part of normal business – thorny issues get held back until the final stages, and then there will be an act of God and it will get sorted.'
