Sittings · Document
OPINION (2024/2108(INI)) 2025-07-17
On the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Laurence Farreng
AMENDMENTS
The Committee on Culture and Education submits the following to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on International Trade, as the committees responsible:
Amendment 1
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the new strategic partnership between the UK and the EU, notably the renewed agenda for European Union-United Kingdom cooperation – Common Understanding and the association of the UK into Erasmus+, agreed at the UK-EU Summit of 19 May 2025, |
Amendment 2
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union1a, ___________________ 1a OJ L, 2024/2509, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj. |
Amendment 3
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Aa. whereas the current geopolitical situation and global challenges show that closer cooperation between the EU and the United Kingdom is necessary for the security, stability and prosperity of the whole continent; |
Amendment 4
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| J. whereas the first EU-UK Summit, scheduled for 19 May 2025, is expected to provide an impetus for exploring opportunities to deepen the EU-UK partnership in a mutually beneficial manner, with security and defence likely to be a key area of focus; | J. whereas the first EU-UK Summit, scheduled for 19 May 2025, has provided an impetus for exploring opportunities to deepen the EU-UK partnership in a mutually beneficial manner, with security and defence likely to be a key area of focus; |
Amendment 5
Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ra. whereas the United Kingdom is not part of the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme, the 2021-2027 European Solidarity Corps programme or the 2021-2027 Creative Europe programme; |
Amendment 6
Motion for a resolution
Recital R b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rb. whereas the cultural and creative sectors are not included in the TCA, which mentions the term ‘education’ only in relation to cybersecurity and the need to educate citizens on related challenges; |
Amendment 7
Motion for a resolution
Recital R c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rc. whereas, as a consequence of Brexit, EU citizens1a studying in the United Kingdom are no longer entitled to ‘home fees’, requiring them to pay higher international student fees; whereas this change makes it prohibitively expensive to study in the United Kingdom, penalising young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, in particular, as there is no price cap on tuition fees for international students; _____________ 1a with the exception of Irish citizens. |
Amendment 8
Motion for a resolution
Recital R d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rd. whereas the Turing Scheme cannot be considered a replacement for the Erasmus+ programme, as it only finances outward mobility; whereas during the UK’s final year of Erasmus+, 2019-2020, the funding allocation to the United Kingdom was GBP 200 million, a larger sum than the GBP 110 million allocated for the Turing Scheme in 2022-20232a; _____________ 1a UK Government, ‘Turing Scheme funding outcomes for the 2022 to 2023 academic year’, 13 March 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/turing-scheme-funding-outcomes-2022-to-2023/turing-scheme-funding-outcomes-for-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year. |
Amendment 9
Motion for a resolution
Recital R e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Re. whereas from 2013 to 2016, 52.7 % of all mobility placements of UK students took place in an EU Member State1a; whereas 6 out of 10 mobility placements under the Turing Scheme for the academic year 2021-2022 were outside the EU1b; _____________ 1a Universities UK International, ‘Gone International: Expanding Opportunities’ https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/31640/1/Gone%20International_expanding%20opportunities_digital.pdf. 1b The three most popular Erasmus+ destinations for UK students, Spain, France and Germany, have seen a dramatic 43 % decline in average UK higher education participant numbers under the Turing Scheme (The British Academy, ‘The Turing Scheme – Understanding impacts and implications’, November 2023, https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/5022/The_Turing_Scheme_-_Understanding_Impacts_and_Implications.pdf). |
Amendment 10
Motion for a resolution
Recital R f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rf. whereas the number of EU students in the United Kingdom has decreased from 66 685 in the academic year immediately before Brexit to 28 375 in the academic year 2023-20241a; _____________ 1a Higher Education Statistics Agency, ‘UK, 2022/23 - Where students come from and go to study’, 8 August 2024, https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/08-08-2024/sb269-higher-education-student-statistics/location. |
Amendment 11
Motion for a resolution
Recital R g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rg. whereas the Government of Wales has put in place the Taith international learning exchange programme1a to offer outward and inward student mobility, targeting under-represented groups and smaller organisations; whereas the Scottish Education Exchange Programme’s Test and Learn project1b was introduced by the Scottish Government; whereas the Irish Government is funding Erasmus+ mobility for students from universities in Northern Ireland, irrespective of their nationality, by enrolling them in Irish universities for the duration of their exchange1c; _____________ 1a Universities Wales, ‘Wales beyond borders’, https://uniswales.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2025-03/Wales%20beyond%20borders%20FINAL.pdf. 1b Scottish Government, ‘Scottish Education Exchange Programme – Test and Learn: funded projects’, 15 January 2025, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-education-exchange-programme-test-and-learn-funded-projects/. 1c Government of Ireland, ‘Minister Harris announces mobility funding for Northern Ireland higher education students’, 27 July 2023, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-further-and-higher-education-research-innovation-and-science/press-releases/minister-harris-announces-mobility-funding-for-northern-ireland-higher-education-students/. |
Amendment 12
Motion for a resolution
Recital R h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rh. whereas the UK’s International Education Strategy has set the objective of increasing the number of international students welcomed in UK higher education institutions each year from 400 000 to 600 000 by 20301a; _____________ 1a UK Government, ‘International Education Strategy: 2021 update’, 6 February 2021, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-2021-update. |
Amendment 13
Motion for a resolution
Recital R i (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ri. whereas the 2019 political declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom stated that ‘the Parties agree to consider conditions for entry and stay for purposes such as research, study, training and youth exchanges’1a; whereas youth exchanges were considered one of the main priorities for EU-UK relations during the meeting of the General Affairs Council of 17 December 2024; _______________ 1a OJ C 34, 31.1.2020, p.1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/treaty/withd_2020/dcl_1/sign. |
Amendment 14
Motion for a resolution
Recital R j (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rj. whereas UK artists and cultural workers are now subject to Schengen rules, which leads to difficulties, such as significant cost increases, transport permits for equipment and obtaining cultural performance visas, when touring in various European countries in a short period of time; |
Amendment 15
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph R k (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rk. whereas the TCA applies a cultural exception that excludes audiovisual services from its scope, despite the EU and the United Kingdom sharing many of the same values in the fields of culture and education; whereas the United Kingdom remains a party to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, and audiovisual works originating in the United Kingdom are considered ‘European works’ in accordance with Article 1(1)(n)(iii) of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive1a; _______________ 1a Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (OJ L 95, 15.4.2010, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/13/oj). |
Amendment 16
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph R l (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rl. whereas the conclusions of the EU-UK Summit of 19 May 2025 mention working towards a future Youth Experience Scheme and UK re-association to the Erasmus+ programme, as well as the cultural and artistic exchanges and touring artists; |
Amendment 17
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph R m (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Rm. whereas since Brexit, EU sportspeople and athletes need a work permit to perform in the UK; whereas the TCA lacks any provisions linked to capacity-building of grassroots and professional organisations, partnerships and exchanges in the field of sports; |
Amendment 18
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 17
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Culture, youth and sport | Education, culture, youth and sport |
Amendment 19
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34. [opinion-giving committees]; | Deleted |
Amendment 20
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34a. Welcomes the proposal by the Commission to establish a Youth Mobility scheme1a and the outcome of the UK-EU Summit of 19 May 2025 on the Youth Experience Scheme, allowing young Europeans and Britons to benefit from a tailor-made solution to travel, study and work, while removing unnecessary boundaries, paperwork and red tape; underlines that the temporary nature of this provision makes it a cultural and educational exchange not a migration policy tool; notes that the UK already has youth mobility schemes with other countries, such as Japan; emphasises that more equitable benefits can be gained if the EU conducts joint negotiations than if the Member States negotiate bilateral agreements individually; _________________ 1a Recommendation for a Council Decision of 18 April 2024 authorising the opening of negotiations for an agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on youth mobility (COM(2024)0169). |
Amendment 21
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34b. Welcomes the conclusions of the EU-UK Summit of 19 May 20251a concerning the potential re-association of the United Kingdom to the Erasmus+ programme; calls on the Commission and the United Kingdom to start discussions without delay to find an association solution that would benefit both parties; stresses, in this context, the particular role of Erasmus+ as a driver of European values, cultural diversity, civic engagement and social inclusion, and the associated strengthening of Europe’s resilience; notes that the Youth Mobility Scheme and the UK’s re-association to the Erasmus+ programme might be launched simultaneously, highlighting the need for both initiatives to be complementary and mutually reinforcing; _________________ 1a European Commission, A renewed agenda for European Union – United Kingdom cooperation Common Understanding, 19 May 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_25_1267; Council of the European Union, ‘EU-UK summit, 19 May 2025’, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2025/05/19/. |
Amendment 22
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34c. Welcomes the reference to the cultural and artistic exchanges and to touring artists in the conclusions of the UK-EU Summit of 19 May 2025; notes that collaboration with stakeholders in the EU and UK will be vital to support cultural exchange and address barriers facing UK touring professionals; calls for a more concrete plan to tackle the issues artists are facing; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to continue its efforts towards the re-association of the United Kingdom to the Creative Europe programme; |
Amendment 23
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34d. Notes with concern the uncertainties and difficulties that have arisen for students, teachers, touring artists and cultural professionals willing to learn, teach, perform and work on both sides of the Channel; underlines the need for reciprocity in existing or future procedures and measures; asks the Commission to assess the impact of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from EU programmes on cultural and educational exchanges; |
Amendment 24
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34e. Notes with concern that school trips and youth mobility from the EU are hindered by the new UK entry rules; calls, therefore, for the creation of a youth group travel scheme for young people under 18; |
Amendment 25
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34f. Is deeply worried by the decrease in the number of EU students studying in British universities; underlines the fact that this situation is clearly linked to the UK’s withdrawal from the Erasmus+ programme and the end of equal treatment rules regarding tuition fees and scholarships for EU students1a; urges the United Kingdom and the EU to reach an agreement on lowering tuition fees in order to allow more young Europeans to study in the United Kingdom; _________________ 1a with the exception of Irish citizens. |
Amendment 26
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34g. Strongly believes that the United Kingdom and the EU must deepen their academic cooperation in order to face current geopolitical challenges and enhance their respective soft power; highlights, in this regard, that the principle of international reciprocity enshrined in the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education is key to building stable and long-term partnership between higher education institutions; |
Amendment 27
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34h. Notes the creation of the Turing Scheme by the UK Government, the Taith programme by the Welsh Government and the Scottish Education Exchange Programme’s Test and Learn project, which is currently in its pilot phase; regrets, however, that the Turing Scheme only covers outgoing student mobility and cannot therefore be seen as a full replacement for Erasmus+; |
Amendment 28
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 i (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34i. Notes that UK universities are allowed to be part of European university alliances, but can no longer be included in their governance structure, which de facto relegates them to the status of second-class partners; encourages their continued partnership through the European Universities Alliances initiative, benefiting from the new form of a legal status allowing them to be a full partner; |
Amendment 29
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 j (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34j. Underlines the fact that the United Kingdom1a continues to participate in the European Higher Education Area (‘Bologna process’); urges the United Kingdom, the Commission and the Member States to continue their work towards full mutual recognition of academic qualifications, diplomas, degrees and exchange periods; _________________ 1a The Scottish higher education system differs from the rest of the UK, which is why it is considered a separate entity within the Bologna Process (European Higher Education Area, ‘United Kingdom (Scotland)’, https://ehea.info/page-united-kingdom-scotland). |
Amendment 30
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 k (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34k. Notes that the EU and the UK continue to be vital markets for cultural exchange, sharing long-standing links and mutual influences between their cultural scenes; recognises the high economic value of the UK cultural sector; calls for new and continuous cooperation between EU and UK artists and other professionals in the cultural and creative sectors and industries, and for their labour rights to be safeguarded; |
Amendment 31
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 l (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34l. Notes that the Creative Europe programme was not replaced by any other programme dedicated to culture to support artists in the United Kingdom; |
Amendment 32
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 m (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34m. Regrets the absence of any provisions linked to culture and the cultural and creative sectors in the TCA following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the end of UK participation in free movement, resulting in administrative obstacles facing touring artists, especially emerging and independent artists; notes that UK artists and cultural workers touring in the EU have to comply with multiple different visa, immigration and work permit systems; requests, therefore, that the Members State clarify the requirements regarding ATA carnets; calls for the inclusion of the cultural sector in the forthcoming review of the TCA; |
Amendment 33
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 n (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34n. Calls for a solution to be found to the post-Brexit difficulties faced by artists and cultural workers, especially young and emerging ones, in relation to touring and participation in festivals, such as customs and VAT rules for merchandising and rules on international transport; asks the United Kingdom, the Member States and the Commission to work towards finding solutions that would foster easier ways for artists to operate across the Channel, addressing visas and work permits for short-term cultural stays and harmonised procedures for customs formalities; |
Amendment 34
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 o (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34o. Notes the need to ensure convergence of the future digital regulatory environment for audiovisual and media services in the United Kingdom and the EU to provide stable, predictable and clear requirements for the cultural and creative sector and the sports sector in the face of growing challenges on a global level; |
Amendment 35
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 p (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34p. Notes that the TCA applies a cultural exception that excludes audiovisual services from its scope; emphasises the need for strategic cooperation in the audiovisual sector to ensure the visibility of productions made in Europe and their global competitiveness; |
Amendment 36
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 q (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34q. Encourages a closer cooperation between the UK and the EU to facilitate the participation of athletes in sporting competitions and exchanges of sports staff; |
Amendment 37
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 r (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 34r. Highlights the negative impact of the fragmented or non-existent recognition of mobility of students and staff, particularly in the fields of arts, culture and vocational education and training; stresses that this hinders efforts to address skills shortages across Europe; underlines that initiatives under the Union of Skills that address the skills gap, the green and digital transitions, vocational education and training, and lifelong learning could partially extend to partner countries associated with the Erasmus+ programme; highlights, in this regard, the added value of the UK’s re-association to the Erasmus+ programme and urges the UK and the Commission to continue their dialogue with a view to establishing an effective framework for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications; |
ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for declares that she included in her opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the opinion, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:
| 1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register |
| Universities UK International (UUKi) |
| League of European Research Universities |
| Office of the Northern Ireland Executive Brussels |
| COIMBRA GROUP |
| Performing Arts Employers Associations League Europe |
| 2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies |
| British Embassy in France |
| UK Mission to the EU |
| Scottish Government |
| British Council |
The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for opinion.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
| Date adopted | 16.7.2025 | |
| Result of final vote | +: –: 0: | 25 4 0 |
| Members present for the final vote | Nikolaos Anadiotis, Zsuzsanna Borvendég, Laurence Farreng, Catherine Griset, Hannes Heide, Lara Magoni, Eleonora Meleti, Nikos Pappas, Giusi Princi, Sabrina Repp, Diana Riba i Giner, Nela Riehl, Sandro Ruotolo, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Zoltán Tarr, Eugen Tomac, Ivaylo Valchev, Annamária Vicsek, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski | |
| Substitutes present for the final vote | Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Isilda Gomes, Łukasz Kohut, Nikola Minchev, Carolina Morace, Tiago Moreira de Sá, Marcos Ros Sempere, Hélder Sousa Silva | |
| Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote | Niels Geuking, Antonio López-Istúriz White |