The UK and EU are set for a row over demands that Britain pay into the Brussels budget to get a Brexit reset deal to bring down electricity bills.
Brexit reset minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told The i Paper that Britain would “not make general contributions to the EU budget” in order to get a deal over the line for it to participate in the continent’s internal electricity market.
It is understood Thomas-Symonds was signalling the UK would reject demands to pay into EU regional “cohesion” funds, which channel cash into poorer areas of the bloc, as the price of an electricity deal. The Government is willing to consider fair contributions for single market access, however.
An agreement on UK participation in the EU electricity market would allow British firms to export energy to the bloc, and is hailed by both sides as a way to drive down household bills, boost profits and investment in the industry, and bolster energy security.
No deal at any price
But Thomas-Symonds suggested the UK would not strike a deal at any price, having already rejected EU demands for billions of pounds to participate in the bloc’s weapons rearmament fund.
As well as announcing a deal on rejoining the EU’s Erasmus exchange programme on Wednesday, Thomas-Symonds and his Brussels counterpart Maroš Šefčovič said they had concluded initial talks on energy co-operation and would announce the start of negotiations next week in an exchange of letters.
Also speaking to The i Paper, EU ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano said it was “quite frequent that for participation of non-EU countries and partner countries into these kind of projects, that their contribution is requested”, but the exact nature of the demands were “for member states to consider”.
He stressed that an electricity deal would bring benefits on both sides of the Channel.
Brexit reset minister Nick Thomas-Symonds (James Manning/PA)“All the investment that the UK has planned on its wind farms, in notably the North Sea and also Irish Sea and elsewhere in the UK, and all the investments in green energy that the UK is foreseeing would only make full sense in view of exporting energy to the rest of Europe,” he said.
“And for that, obviously, being in the same market will make this seamless and much more profitable, and actually will not only lower prices, but will also increase energy security on both sides.”
Erasmus exchange deal defended
Both men defended the Erasmus deal. Asked about criticism of the cost – £570m for one year in 2027 – and whether further EU demands for cash would raise questions about whether the Brexit reset was worth the money – and could even hit the UK Chancellor’s spending plans – Thomas-Symonds said his would “absolutely not” be the case as “this is going to bring money into the economy”.
“We would not make general contributions to the EU budget – of course on something like SPS (food and agriculture) there is a cost to administration of the scheme but it is dwarfed by what it brings into the economy,” he added.
“I’m going to be out there really making the case that it isn’t just a student exchange scheme, this is about people from all different backgrounds, making the case for people all around the country from disadvantaged backgrounds being able to benefit.”
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Serrano said much of the cost would come back in benefits for British participants.
“The cost is based basically on the financing of British young people that will be going to continental Europe, the European Union member states, to study, do sports, professional training, vocational training. So that’s what the cost is about,” he added.
“It’s the price to pay for an activity, and that’s the same thing that the rest of member states pay for the participation of their citizens in these kind of programmes.”
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