Several elements in the announced new EU and UK deal for closer partnership should make life easier for Britons living in and coming to France.
The results of the summit held on Monday May 19 are substantial and they are expected to form the basis for further talks and formal agreements.
Nothing official has changed since the talks, but many key points were agreed, moving forward.
Young people
While parts of the summit relate to issues such as defence and security, or trade, the EU and UK agreed they also wished to “put people at the centre of the relationship”.
They wish to “deepen people-to-people ties” and in particular for the younger generation.
They will work towards a “youth experience scheme”, so young people can spend time in the UK/EU for reasons including work, studies, being au pairs, volunteering or simply travelling, for a limited period. Such opportunities have been very limited post-Brexit.
This would involve the young people applying for a specific, new kind of visa, and there may be quotas.
The UK will become “associated” to Erasmus+: this means young Britons and young EU citizens could once again participate in educational and work placement exchanges. Currently, ‘associated’ countries include non-EU countries that can participate in the scheme, including, for example, Norway, Iceland and Turkey.
The terms of this “association” would have to be agreed, and the level of benefits obtained by the UK would partly depend on its willingness to contribute financially.
Borders
The UK and EU will discuss ways to make borders “smooth” for each other’s citizens, including the potential use of e-gates at passport control.
At present, this is already possible for British visitors to France and French visitors to the UK, at large airports (and Eurotunnel and Eurostar terminals) where e-gates exist.
Airports’ body UAF has told The Connexion that this is also planned to continue after the EU’s new digital borders scheme, EES, starts operations (probably from October 2025). However, the EU-UK deal reinforces a will at state level on both sides to see such benefits continue.
The EU affirms that the start of EES would not prevent Britons from using e-gates.
Nothing is stated with regard to any flexibility for British visitors to the EU with regard to the Schengen area’s 90/180 days rule, or any exemption from having to, in future, register with the EES as ‘third country’ visitors to the area.
Read more: Will British travellers be able to use e-gates?
Post-Brexit agreements
The UK and EU reaffirmed their commitment to “full and timely and faithful implementation” of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (WA) and Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
These are the basis for, notably, protections given to Britons in France under WA cards, with regard to their residency, work and social security rights. They protect elements such as British travellers’ rights to use Ghic travel health forms in France, or for UK state pensioners to be issued with S1 forms for healthcare in France and the have UK-issued Ehics.
This includes the right for ‘WA’ Britons who have been in France for more than five years to a ‘permanent residency’ status, including the right to replace the five-year cards with 10-year cards.
We note that the first five-year cards will expire towards the end of this year.
Plant and animal health rules and pet passports
The EU and UK agree to work towards a “common sanitary and phytosanitary area”, via an “SPS (Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures) agreement”. This sounds technical but should have several practical benefits.
It refers to sharing common plant and animal health rules, including relating to the transport of foodstuffs such as fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy. The deal says the agreement will also cover food safety and food consumer protection rules, rules on animals, and rules on pesticides and organic food.
The “same rules” should apply “at all times” in both the UK and EU, resulting in “dynamic alignment”.
The effects are likely to include no more bans on travellers from the UK bringing meat and dairy products or fruit and vegetables into France for personal use. Post-Brexit, the UK had not so far introduced similar bans on travellers bringing EU products into the UK, apart from a current temporary meat and dairy ban linked to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks on the continent.
People could also, for example, order seed packets from the UK, or bring in plants for their gardens at second homes.
The UK could issue pet passports that would be recognised by the EU, making trips with pets by visitors and second-home owners less expensive.
Read more: Is the UK seeking easier EU travel for pets?
Businesses on both sides of the channel would be able to import food more easily, without the need for costly veterinary or plant health certificates and checks.
What else is in the deal?
The deal is wide-ranging pledging, among other points, closer defence and security cooperation and close cooperation on irregular migration and people smuggling.
It states that more ‘dialogue’ will be held over mutual recognition of professional qualifications and also over easing temporary stays for business purposes.
Both sides state they “recognise the value” of artistic and cultural exchanges, including tours by performers and will “continue their efforts to support” these. This, however, falls short of any specific pledge to remove the significant post-Brexit difficulties faced by UK artists touring in the EU.
The UK and EU will explore ways to have more mutual exchange of such data as fingerprints, DNA and criminal records and facial images.
The deal also notes a requirement in the TCA to set up ‘automated searching of vehicle registration data’. It is unclear if this could see, for example, more cross-border motoring offence fines, although the TCA says it relates to the prevention and investigation of crimes.
Moving forward
The EU and the UK agreed to hold regular high-level meetings on joint strategic interests, such as economy and trade, and justice and home affairs, as well a foreign and security policy dialogues every six months, and summits every year.
