UK minister: Relaunch of EU relations could begin by summer

The UK’s Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, expressed confidence that London and Brussels could reach an agreement to relaunch key economic aspects of their relationship before the start of the summer season.

Speaking in an interview with Politico, Thomas-Symonds said that, despite challenging negotiations over tuition fees for European students and restrictions on youth mobility programs, he had achieved “significant progress” in collaboration with his EU counterpart, Maroš Šefčovič, Caliber.Az reports.

The minister noted that the commitment to complete the EU relations relaunch by the end of the year will be included in the upcoming King’s Speech on May 13, where the government’s legislative program will be outlined.

According to Thomas-Symonds, a second UK–EU summit is scheduled for late June or July to discuss details and set priorities for future negotiations.

“The bill will introduce the mechanism of alignment — and I would expect that to be completed by the end of 2026 and to have completed its parliamentary passage by then,” he stressed.

His comments follow a series of stalled talks between London and Brussels. EU officials had insisted that European students studying at British universities pay “home” tuition fees—approximately £12 530 per year in England and Wales — a policy that would affect all youth mobility agreements.

Under the international rate, which these students normally pay to their host universities, fees are significantly higher, raising concerns within the UK higher education sector.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov