EU-UK deal proposes to remove ‘vast majority’ of agri-food Brexit checks

A new EU-UK deal will remove the need for post-Brexit customs checks on the “vast majority” of agri-food products sold between Britain and the European Union, according to a draft text laying out the scope of the agreement.A joint statement being negotiated by London and Brussels commits to set up a youth experience scheme allowing EU nationals to live and work in the UK for up to three years, and for young British nationals to live and work inside the EU under the same conditions. An agreement to end the practice of European students being charged international tuition fees when studying in UK universities will be teased out at a later date, according to the document.The text, seen by The Irish Times, details various plans to smooth out several rough edges created by the UK’s exit from the union, as part of a wider pivot back closer to the EU by the Labour government. READ MOREThat includes – as expected – a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to remove checks conducted between Britain and the EU single market on sausages, fish and a huge range of other agri-food exports. The agreement would be welcome news to businesses in Northern Ireland, by removing the need for checks on goods arriving from Britain crossing the so-called Irish Sea border. It would be a significant boost to UK exporters whose ability to sell products into the massive EU single market has been complicated by customs paperwork after Brexit. The legal changes needed to give effect to the deal are not likely to be completed until next spring, one EU diplomat said.[ Stephen Collins: Tory press is still screaming about the ‘betrayal of Brexit’, but few voters are listeningOpens in new window ]UK prime minister Andy Burnham and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are due to sign off on the new reset deal at a summit in Brussels on November 20th. The commission, the EU’s executive arm that leads on trade, has spent the last year negotiating the set of agreements with British officials. The broad outline of what is on the table had been settled in June, but Keir Starmer’s resignation as prime minister delayed a planned summit to sign off on the deal. Talks resumed following Burnham’s ascent to the top job.[ ‘It’s up to us’: Ireland must work inside EU to smooth path for possible British returnOpens in new window ]The EU-UK “youth experience scheme” will not apply to Irish people, because they can already travel and work in Britain under the terms of the Common Travel Area. Irish third-level students pay the same “home fees” as UK citizens when studying in British colleges for the same reason. The visa programme aimed at young people and the question of tuition fees were priorities in the negotiations for many other EU countries. The two sides will work towards an agreement “providing for equal treatment with nationals as regards tuition fees for EU students in the UK and for UK students in the EU”, according to the draft joint statement. One source briefed on negotiations said it was likely this work on tuition fees could be concluded by next spring.[ Is Andy Burnham laying a Brexit trap or falling into one?Opens in new window ]Some key points will only be settled in the days or hours before Burnham and von der Leyen shake hands on the deal later this month. Brussels and London are split on how many visas will be available for people availing of the youth experience scheme each year.The UK pitched a 50,000 limit and the commission pushed to set the cap at 150,000. It is expected they will meet somewhere in the middle. The joint statement will describe the UK as a “trusted partner” on economic supply chains. The language is designed to ease fears that proposed EU rules to boost Europe’s manufacturing industry would sideline British companies and suppliers.