EU and Britain to offer each other local university tuition fees as ties warm

BRUSSELS – European Union nationals will pay the same university fees as British students as part of a broader deal to tighten links between the two sides.British nationals will also be offered the same rates as locals in EU countries, according to people familiar with the matter.An agreement to work toward the deal is set to be revealed at an EU-UK summit on Nov 20, they added, speaking anonymously to describe the private negotiations.Additionally, officials plan to unveil new talks on economic security at the summit, the people said.The initiative will aim to align policies meant to diversify supply chains, secure critical raw materials and shield domestic industries from unfair foreign competition. The deepening relationship reflects Europe’s desire to collectively counterbalance the US and China, as Washington shuns long-held alliances and Beijing exerts control over supplies needed for modern technologies.Britain is also keen to be included as the EU enacts “Made in Europe” provisions. British officials are confident their new commitments will help secure a political pledge from the EU to count Britain as a “trusted partner” in the upcoming legislation, the people said, ensuring it can still bid for EU public contracts.The British government has thus far resisted pressure to offer EU students the same tuition fees as their British counterparts. A British government spokesperson said: “We are building an ambitious, close relationship with the EU that will strengthen our economy, protect British industry, and create more opportunities for young people across the UK.”A spokesperson for European Council President António Costa, who is overseeing the upcoming summit, didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. In addition to tuition fees and economic security, the EU and Britain will commit to minimising the effect of their trade measures on vulnerable sectors like steel and electric cars, the people said.The EU also hopes Britain will participate in the bloc’s civilian crisis management missions and grant full reciprocal access to fishing territory until mid-2038, they added.The EU-UK deal is part of a broader strategy to build a global network of democratic countries seeking to lessen dependencies on the US and China.Last week, the EU and Canada pledged to move toward an “ever-closer association” that will include more integrated supply chains, coordinated economic-security policies, defence industry cooperation and more European investment into critical raw materials in Canada.In Britain, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has restarted a debate about reintegrating Britain with the EU a decade after Brexit.Burnham said options could include rejoining the EU’s single market, its customs union, or even the bloc itself. BLOOMBERG