EU ties UK food imports to youth mobility deal as prices bite

Brussels signaled on Wednesday that it will not ease entry rules for UK food imports unless Britain agrees to a youth mobility deal that would allow tens of thousands of young workers to cross the Channel. Under a temporary arrangement that began in June, sanitary and phytosanitary checks on fruit and vegetables moving in both directions have been suspended to speed trade. The accord is in place for 18 months, with a longer-term, permanent deal targeted for 2027.

Talks on a long-term SPS framework are expected to begin within months, according to Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds. The EU has tied a permanent SPS deal to a reciprocal youth mobility scheme, arguing it would let tens of thousands of under-30s travel and work in Britain, as already exists with Canada and Australia. Britain has signaled it would model a scheme on its arrangements with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, which typically allow 18- to 30-year-olds to stay for up to two years, with extensions possible but with caps on numbers.

The current stance has raised questions about the scale of labour mobility and the level of access the UK would retain, with some officials warning that moving beyond a temporary SPS deal would require concessions on numbers and timelines. Thomas-Symonds insisted that the aim is not to return to open borders, saying, "deliver the smart, controlled, balanced scheme that I agreed on in the common understanding. There are 13 of them that already exist, and it is in that context that we will be negotiating with the EU, but the idea or suggestion that this is somehow freedom of movement is completely wrong."

The temporary SPS arrangement stopped checks on many fruit and vegetables imported from the EU, meaning no border checks or fees would be paid for certain items. It covers multiple areas, including fishing, defence, a youth experience scheme, and passport e-gates. The government says halting border checks on “medium-risk” fruit and vegetables—such as tomatoes, grapes and peppers—could save businesses roughly £200 million in supply-chain costs while a permanent SPS deal is negotiated.

Britain’s inflation picture remains a key backdrop to the talks. Official data this week showed UK food and drink inflation rising to 5.1% in the previous month, up from 4.9% in July, marking the fifth consecutive monthly increase. The broader Consumer Prices Index (CPI) held at 3.8% in August, the highest since early 2024, amid expectations that the Bank of England will keep rates steady for now after cutting the monetary policy rate to 4% in August. Economists broadly expect that the next rounds of meetings will keep rates unchanged through the autumn, with a potential move in early 2025 depending on data.

The clash over SPS terms and a youth mobility scheme highlights the tension in post-Brexit trade policy: Brussels wants a link between smoother food trade and a broader, managed approach to labour mobility, while London emphasizes a narrow, climate-controlled scheme rather than a wholesale reintroduction of freedom of movement. The two sides have signaled willingness to negotiate, but the next steps will hinge on how far they are willing to converge on a permanent framework by the 2027 target date.