Five years after Brexit kicked in and nearly ten years since its referendum, the UK has finally secured a trade deal with the EU. So what could the deal mean for students at Stirling?
Are We Getting Erasmus Back?
The Erasmus Scheme gave students wanting to study abroad more options on where they could go when the UK was a member, which it hasn’t been since leaving the European Union. However, the deal with the EU includes plans for the UK to rejoin Erasmus, meaning students, including those at Stirling, may soon have more European options when choosing where to study abroad.
Whilst plans to rejoin the scheme are not finalised yet, the UK and the European Commission are looking to form a scheme that would allow young people to travel within the EU for reasons other than study abroad, such as for work or volunteering opportunities.
Back in January, the Department of Education claimed that there were no plans to rejoin Erasmus, but this has clearly changed.
SAAS Stretching
A sanitary and phytosanitary deal has cut down red tape on food and drink imports and exports between the UK and EU.
This includes some checks on animal and plant products being removed completely, including imports and exports between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Reducing checks on imports and exports aims to lower food prices, hopefully making the big Tesco run cheaper for students, and provide more choice by getting more European food options on the shelves.
The Important Bit (Holidays)
Long, post-Brexit queues at the airport will hopefully be on the way out, as British passport holders will be able to use more eGates in European airports, but what European countries this includes hasn’t been specified yet.
The new deal also includes the return of pet passports. After Brexit, cats and dogs travelling from the UK required a health certificate before they flew, when flying from the UK and the EU. These could cost between £99 to £250.
Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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