On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he has delayed imposing trade sanctions on the United Kingdom (UK) to allow negotiators from both sides to resolve the post-Brexit fishing dispute.
Earlier, France said it would restrict cross-Channel trade and some British vessels from accessing French ports and increase border and sanitary checks of goods arriving from Britain starting from 2300 GMT on Monday. France has been demanding more fishing permits in British waters as per the trade deal between the UK and the European Union (EU).
However, after a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Macron announced his decision to withhold sanctions against the UK, citing renewed talks.
Macron said, “Since this afternoon, discussions have resumed based on a proposal I made to Prime Minister (Boris) Johnson. The talks need to continue. My understanding is that the British were going to come back to us tomorrow with other proposals. All that will be worked on. We’ll see where we are tomorrow at the end of the day to see if things have changed.”
Likewise, European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said France wouldn’t apply the trade sanctions before a meeting with British Brexit minister David Frost on Thursday in Paris.
Britain has welcomed the decision saying, “We welcome France’s acknowledgement that in-depth discussions are needed to resolve the range of difficulties in the UK/EU relationship.” It has been reported that Frost has accepted Beaune’s invitation to discuss fishing rights.
France’s decision to hold trade sanctions comes after the UK threatened legal action under the Brexit deal. On Monday, the UK gave France 48 hours to recall its decision to impose trade sanctions or face legal action. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “The French have made completely unreasonable threats, including to the Channel Islands and our fishing industry, and they need to withdraw those threats, or else we will use the mechanisms of our trade agreement with the EU to take action.”
Truss further said the UK would not comply with French demands in the face of trade sanctions and noted that Britain had been granting fishing licenses in compliance with the trade agreement with the EU. Truss’s remarks came after Macron said that it is up to the UK to resolve the fishing dispute.
Macron and Johnson also met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit on Sunday. While the French President said he hopes to avoid any escalation, the British PM said the UK’s position remains unchanged.
Fishing rights have been a thorny issue between both countries for decades. Access to rich fishing grounds across the Channel also dominated the negotiations that led to Britain’s exit from the EU. In September, the rift intensified when the UK refused to allow French fishing boats to fish in its territorial waters and demanded proof that they had fished in British waters before Brexit. In response, France accused Britain of failing to comply with post-Brexit negotiations.
Although the fishing industry holds limited economic value, the leaders continue to spar over rights and licenses because of political and symbolic importance. France is gearing up for a presidential election in six months and Macron wants to be seen supporting the nation’s fishing crew, as northern France remains a key battleground for him. Macron hasn’t declared his candidacy for the election yet but is widely expected to run for re-election. For Johnson, the fishing grounds were one of the major causes for Brexit and diverted attention from Britain’s domestic issues, including his administration’s mishandling of the pandemic.