EU and Britain set to swap local tuition fees at Nov 20 summit

EU nationals will pay the same university fees as British students, and British students will get local rates across the EU, under a deal the two sides are working toward. The agreement is set to be unveiled at an EU-UK summit on Nov 20, according to people familiar with the private negotiations.

The same summit will launch fresh talks on economic security. Those discussions would line up policies on diversifying supply chains, locking down critical raw materials and protecting domestic industries from unfair foreign competition.

London has long balked at giving EU students the same fees as home students. British officials now bet their new commitments will land a political pledge from the EU to treat Britain as a 'trusted partner' under upcoming 'Made in Europe' rules, keeping it eligible to bid for EU public contracts, the people said. A British government spokesperson said the relationship being built will strengthen the economy, protect British industry and create opportunities for young people.

Other pieces are on the table too. The two sides will commit to softening the blow of trade measures on vulnerable sectors like steel and electric cars, while the EU wants Britain in its civilian crisis management missions and full reciprocal access to fishing waters through mid-2038, the people said. European Council President António Costa is overseeing the summit and his spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The thaw fits a bigger play by Brussels to stitch together a network of democracies that depend less on the US and China. Last week the EU and Canada promised to head toward an 'ever-closer association,' covering supply chains, economic-security policy and defence industry cooperation.

Inside Britain, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reopened the question of tying the country back to the EU a decade after Brexit. He floated rejoining the single market, the customs union, or even the bloc itself.