The European Commission contends that Europe's students and young graduates bore the brunt of Brexit's mobility constraints. Allegedly, the UK has responded with a reserved attitude towards the proposal.

The European Union is seeking to enhance mobility between its 27 member-states and the UK, particularly targeting individuals aged 18 to 30. However, whether London would embrace such a proposition remains uncertain.

The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, is endeavoring to initiate comprehensive discussions with the UK regarding enabling youths from EU nations to pursue study, work, and residency in Britain for a duration of up to four years, mirroring the arrangement for British youths.

This proposal aims to largely restore youth mobility to the era preceding Brexit, when citizens of the then-28-member EU, including the UK, could work and study without visa requirements. The Commission's new blueprint entails a visa system, albeit with fees deemed not "excessive."

While the Commission suggests that Britain has displayed interest in such an accord, the initial response from the UK has been tepid.

Under the proposed agreement, individuals aged 18 to 30 from both the EU and the UK could reside in the host country for a maximum of four years.

Moreover, EU students studying in the UK would have the opportunity to pay the same university tuition fees as UK nationals, potentially reducing their expenses by more than half compared to the current rates for non-UK citizens. Before Brexit, tuition fees were uniform irrespective of the student's nationality.

The Commission highlighted that this disparity has significantly limited opportunities for young individuals to explore life across the Channel and engage in youth, cultural, educational, research, and training exchanges in the post-Brexit landscape.

Additionally, the Commission expressed its willingness for Britain to rejoin the European student exchange initiative, Erasmus. London withdrew from the program post-Brexit, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, citing its high cost.

The Commission's recommendation will undergo deliberation by EU member states, who must endorse the plan before formal negotiations commence with the UK.

However, the initial responses from the UK toward the recommendation did not appear favorable.

Despite the UK's existing Youth Mobility scheme, which has established agreements with 13 nations, the Commission asserts that its proposal is more ambitious.

A spokesperson from No 10 stated, "We have expressed our desire to reduce legal migration and also to support UK talent and skills, which is why we have implemented a system with several agreements with individual EU member states, where it aligns with our interests. We prefer this approach over a Commission-wide agreement."