Europe - Restoring Links for Young People

Motion as passed by conference

Conference notes that:

1. The former Conservative Government erected significant barriers to young people with their botched deal with Europe, including removing the right of young people to move, live and work across EU countries.
2. The UK Government has a Youth Mobility Scheme in place with several non-EU countries including South Korea and Australia, which allows a set number of young people to live and work in those countries for a specified duration of time, on a reciprocal basis.
3. In April 2024, the European Commission proposed a youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU, although the then Government rejected this scheme and the new Government has not set out any plans to take it up.
4. Red tape at the UK/EU border has prevented children from taking part in overseas educational trips - which according to the School Travel Forum has resulted in a 30% reduction in overseas educational visits between 2019 and 2023.
5. The UK has not returned to the Erasmus Plus programme, even though between 2007 and 2013 the UK received over £500m more in funding from the EU for education and training than it put in.
6. Since the UK left the EU, holidaymakers no longer receive free mobile phone roaming - but nearly one in five are unaware that they could face extra charges.
7. While the Trade and Cooperation Agreement included a reference to roaming charges, UK holiday-makers have faced higher prices for roaming in the EU.
8. In June 2024, now-Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the EU to look again at their proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme, which will replace passport stamping next year and is expected to add cost and delays to British holidaymakers' experience at the EU border.

Conference believes that young people should not face such barriers to travelling, living and working in Europe.

Conference reaffirms:

1. The Liberal Democrats' commitment to fixing our broken relationship with Europe, including our longer-term objective of UK membership of the EU.
2. The four-stage roadmap to restore our ties of trust and trade with the EU, as set out in Policy Paper 144, Rebuilding Trade and Cooperation with Europe.
3. Conference welcomes the new Government's changed approach to relations with the EU, but further believes that the new Government is wrong to rule out membership of the Single Market as an option in the future for fixing our broken relationship with Europe, as set out in Policy Paper 144.

Conference calls on the UK Government to:

1. Open negotiations with the EU and EEA to extend the Youth Mobility Scheme on a reciprocal basis to EU countries, with a view to:
   1. Increasing the age limit from 30 to 35.
   2. Abolishing the fees for these visas.
   3. Extending the length of visas from two to three years.
2. Expand opportunities for young people to study, teach and volunteer abroad by returning to the Erasmus Plus programme as an associated country.
3. Take action on excessive roaming charges by:
   1. Opening discussions with the EU on roaming charges, as set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
   2. Opening a consultation on UK phone company roaming charges, including exploring the possibility of abolishing such charges altogether.
4. Take steps to negotiate passport- and visa-free school trips between UK and EU member states, on a reciprocal basis.
5. Open discussions with the EU with the goal of reaching a reciprocal exemption from electronic travel authorisation schemes, with the aim of eliminating costs and reducing border delays for holiday-makers, while maintaining high standards for border security and data protection.
6. Conference commits Liberal Democrats to work and campaign across the UK with youth organisations, schools, colleges, universities and others in the public, private and voluntary sectors for the reciprocal Youth Mobility Scheme, passport and visa-free school trips and a full return of the UK to Erasmus+ as an associated country all to be in place by 2027 at the latest.

Applicability: Federal.

Motion before amendment

Submitted by: 11 party members
Mover: Layla Moran MP (Spokesperson for International Affairs)
Summation: Joshua Reynolds MP

Conference notes that:

1. The former Conservative Government erected significant barriers to young people with their botched deal with Europe, including removing the right of young people to move, live and work across EU countries.
2. The UK Government has a Youth Mobility Scheme in place with several non-EU countries including South Korea and Australia, which allows a set number of young people to live and work in those countries for a specified duration of time, on a reciprocal basis.
3. In April 2024, the European Commission proposed a youth mobility scheme between the UK and the EU, although the then Government rejected this scheme and the new Government has not set out any plans to take it up.
4. Red tape at the UK/EU border has prevented children from taking part in overseas educational trips - which according to the School Travel Forum has resulted in a 30% reduction in overseas educational visits between 2019 and 2023.
5. The UK has not returned to the Erasmus Plus programme, even though between 2007 and 2013 the UK received over £500m more in funding from the EU for education and training than it put in.
6. Since the UK left the EU, holidaymakers no longer receive free mobile phone roaming - but nearly one in five are unaware that they could face extra charges.
7. While the Trade and Cooperation Agreement included a reference to roaming charges, UK holiday-makers have faced higher prices for roaming in the EU.
8. In June 2024, now-Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the EU to look again at their proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme, which will replace passport stamping next year and is expected to add cost and delays to British holidaymakers' experience at the EU border.

Conference believes that young people should not face such barriers to travelling, living and working in Europe.

Conference reaffirms:

1. The Liberal Democrats' commitment to fixing our broken relationship with Europe, including our longer-term objective of UK membership of the EU.
2. The four-stage roadmap to restore our ties of trust and trade with the EU, as set out in Policy Paper 144, Rebuilding Trade and Cooperation with Europe.
3. Conference welcomes the new Government's changed approach to relations with the EU, but further believes that the new Government is wrong to rule out membership of the Single Market as an option in the future for fixing our broken relationship with Europe, as set out in Policy Paper 144.

Conference calls on the UK Government to:

1. Open negotiations with the EU and EEA to extend the Youth Mobility Scheme on a reciprocal basis to EU countries, with a view to:
   1. Increasing the age limit from 30 to 35.
   2. Abolishing the fees for these visas.
   3. Extending the length of visas from two to three years.
2. Expand opportunities for young people to study, teach and volunteer abroad by returning to the Erasmus Plus programme as an associated country.
3. Take action on excessive roaming charges by:
   1. Opening discussions with the EU on roaming charges, as set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
   2. Opening a consultation on UK phone company roaming charges, including exploring the possibility of abolishing such charges altogether.
4. Take steps to negotiate passport- and visa-free school trips between UK and EU member states, on a reciprocal basis.
5. Open discussions with the EU with the goal of reaching a reciprocal exemption from electronic travel authorisation schemes, with the aim of eliminating costs and reducing border delays for holiday-makers, while maintaining high standards for border security and data protection.

Applicability: Federal.

Amendments

Amendment One

PASSED

Submitted by: 12 members
Mover: Simon Hughes
Summation: Irina von Wiese

After 5. (line 70), insert:

6. Conference commits Liberal Democrats to work and campaign across the UK with youth organisations, schools, colleges, universities and others in the public, private and voluntary sectors for the reciprocal Youth Mobility Scheme, passport and visa-free school trips and a full return of the UK to Erasmus+ as an associated country all to be in place by 2027 at the latest.

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Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and movers and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see page 8 of the agenda. 

The deadline for amendments to this motion, see pages 10–11, and for requests for separate votes, see pages 7–8 of the agenda, is 09.00 Thursday 12 September. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Saturday’s Conference Daily.