Keir Starmer faces mounting EU frustration over post-Brexit fishing rights and stalled youth mobility plans, putting next week’s high-stakes summit at risk

Tensions between the UK and European Union reached a boiling point this week, as Brussels delivered a blunt warning: without serious movement on fishing rights and youth mobility, next week’s much-hyped summit could crumble into chaos.

Senior EU diplomats, fresh from over 100 hours of high-level talks with British officials, expressed deep frustration at what they view as London’s inflexible and underwhelming proposals. A meeting on Wednesday exposed sharp divisions, particularly over the future of access to UK waters and the fate of young people’s freedom to work and study across borders.

France and the Netherlands, backed by a majority of member states, demanded that any new veterinary deal—designed to ease punishing checks on food exports, must expire after four years unless Britain offers long-term fishing rights. It’s a blunt attempt to force the UK’s hand, tying the fate of one agreement to the life of another.

Brussels is particularly incensed by the UK’s short-term offer on fish — a mere four-year deal, even shorter than Boris Johnson’s 2020 agreement. One EU ambassador told colleagues the offer amounted to “destroying Europe’s fishing industry” in slow motion.

Another diplomat said the UK lacked “ambition,” with many suggesting the proposals failed to reflect a fair balance of benefits and obligations. “If there’s no progress on fisheries,” one warned, “there’s no defence agreement, no migration cooperation, nothing. It has to be a win-win.”

Keir Starmer is now under pressure. He will attempt to soothe tensions when he meets EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Political Community summit in Albania on Friday, ahead of hosting her in London for Monday’s landmark EU-UK summit.

At stake is a sweeping “reset” in UK-EU relations — from trade and defence to climate and migration. Both sides hope to sign a defence accord that would reopen European defence contracts to British firms. But without a deal on fish and youth mobility, diplomats suggest the entire summit text could be scrapped.

Fishing, though symbolic, remains politically radioactive. Under the Brexit trade deal, EU boats saw their access to British waters cut by 25%, with that transition ending in June 2026. The EU now wants to lock in current quotas for the long haul. Britain isn’t budging.

Another sticking point? Youth mobility. The EU wants a generous work-study scheme for 18-30-year-olds. The UK’s counteroffer — a limited one-year deal with quotas — has angered Brussels. The government’s refusal to exempt EU students from costly international tuition fees also caused uproar. While UK students pay around £9,500 annually, EU students now face fees as high as £38,000.

Further fury erupted over Britain’s decision not to waive NHS surcharges for EU youth — part of new migration controls designed to reduce numbers by 100,000 a year.

Meanwhile, a UK parliamentary committee issued a sharp rebuke to ministers, urging them not to dodge “difficult trade-offs.” The business and trade select committee published 20 policy recommendations, including food export simplification, energy cooperation, and a full review of the 2020 fishing deal.

Committee chair Liam Byrne didn’t mince words. “Unless the UK resets its relationship with the EU,” he said, “we will miss our best chance to reignite growth and security. We need to unlock the Brussels dividend.”

Monday’s summit, once billed as a moment of renewal, now risks being hijacked by the ghosts of Brexit — and sunk by a very modern fight over fish and freedom.