Britain and the European Union have agreed to allow UK students to rejoin the EU’s flagship Erasmus+ student exchange programme from 2027, marking a modest but symbolic step in improving post-Brexit relations.

The British government said the UK’s contribution for the 2027–28 academic year will be £570 million, including a 30 percent discount compared with default terms under the current EU-UK trade deal. More than 100,000 people in the UK could benefit from the scheme in its first year.

The agreement came alongside decisions to open negotiations on electricity market integration and to set a deadline next year to finalise a food and drink trade deal and link carbon markets, according to a joint statement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pursued a less confrontational approach towards Brussels than previous Conservative governments, earlier described the recent reset in defence and trade ties as a “new era” in UK-EU relations.

EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the latest agreements showed the new partnership was delivering results, calling the Erasmus+ decision “a huge win for our young people”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the move would create new shared experiences for young people and further strengthen the renewed partnership, adding that both sides were committed to advancing their common agenda ahead of the next EU-UK Summit expected next year.

The UK had left Erasmus+ following Brexit, replacing it with a domestic alternative. The programme’s return has long been a key EU demand to deepen ties, though opposition Conservatives criticised the decision, saying the government had conceded to the EU without sufficient return.

Universities and pro-European groups welcomed the deal. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said it would offer “life-changing opportunities for thousands of students”, while European Movement UK described it as a concrete sign of thawing relations between London and Brussels.