Key facts
- At least six EU member states want the tuition fee dispute settled by the November 20 summit, according to four EU sources.
- EU officials said the food and drink deal, worth an estimated £5.1bn a year to the UK economy, would enter into force only with a satisfactory fees agreement.
- The EU wants EU students to pay the UK domestic tuition rate rather than international fees, which can be four to six times higher for an undergraduate degree.
- The EU said there would be no Made in Europe deal at the November summit because it is still finalizing the Industrial Accelerator Act.
- A leaked draft summit statement proposes a trusted partnership on strategic industries starting with steel and defense.
The EU is seeking a firmer commitment from the British government to guarantee discounted tuition fees for European students before a summit in Brussels on November 20, the Guardian reported on November 5, 2026. At a meeting of senior EU diplomats on Wednesday, at least six member states opposed delaying a tuition fee deal until after the summit, according to four EU sources. Many believe a failure to reach an agreement should delay the food and drink deal to cut Brexit red tape from coming into force.
Andy Burnham will meet EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa on November 20 in Brussels, aiming to sign three agreements on food and drink, carbon markets and youth exchange, as well as pledging a trusted partnership on steel and defense industries. A longstanding dispute over whether EU students should pay international tuition fees at British universities remains unresolved and could delay the food and energy deals, which are worth billions to the British economy.
The EU wants a return to the pre-Brexit status quo where European students paid the UK domestic rate of university tuition, rather than international fees, which can be about four to six times higher for an undergraduate degree. European Commission negotiators have proposed postponing an agreement on tuition fees by six months to ensure the success of the November event. But at least six member states, including in central and eastern Europe, want the university fees issue settled by the summit, while many are seeking a firmer commitment from the British government, according to four EU sources.
One EU diplomat told the Guardian: "Having a youth experience scheme without an agreement on tuition fees has very little added value," noting the much lower cost of university education in many EU countries. A second EU diplomat said there was cautious optimism about the November summit, but "a large majority" wanted "a more convincing British commitment" on tuition fees. The British government has been contacted for comment.
For the EU, the creation of a youth experience scheme, known as Yes, enabling those aged 18 to 30 to live, work and study on both sides of the Channel is a high priority. EU officials argue the bloc has leverage, saying the food and drink deal, a Labour manifesto pledge estimated to be worth £5.1bn a year to the British economy, would come into force only if there was a satisfactory agreement on tuition fees. Similarly, the agreement to relink emissions trading systems could also be delayed pending agreement on tuition fees.
A leaked version of the summit statement hints at the link between the trio of agreements, looking forward to "their joint and timely entry into force". Separately, EU sources have suggested without a deal on tuition fees, the EU could delay talks on British reintegration into the European electricity market expected to intensify next year. This week the Guardian reported that the UK was prepared to spend up to £450m a year to give EU students discounted university tuition fees if Brussels allowed Britain access to the Made in Europe industrial program.
The EU said there would be no deal on Made in Europe at the November summit because the bloc was still finalizing its position on the Industrial Accelerator Act. France, supported by many lawmakers in the European parliament, is pushing for a narrow definition of Made in Europe, while Germany leads a larger group of countries that don't want to exclude trade partners including the UK. France and Germany struck a compromise on Made in Europe favorable to the UK, but it only applies to cars, not other industrial sectors such as renewables and nuclear technology. In a win for the UK, the draft summit statement proposes a trusted partnership on strategic industries, starting with steel and defense.