If he can get a signal from the same sat then there is no reason why he can not receive BBC etc for free, just like me.
No, because the UK beam signal is centred on.......... the UK. There is some overspill (Norway/ Spain) but not East of Brussels. See the footprint map - leakage has been reduced. This is actually a contravention Of European law on free broadcasting across borders, but TV companies can do as they wish with their own product, and obviously they want to sell it to European Markets in other packages.
Just settle for internet TV - or if as the OP says, he lives in the countryside, accept that not everywhere is perfect in every way.