Last week, France’s European Affairs Minister, Clément Beaune, met with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Brexit Minister, David Frost, in Paris to relaunch negotiations and diffuse tensions over their fishing dispute. The meeting lasted for about two hours.
French Minister Beaune said the possibility of sanctions is now off the table and that he expects to engage in more discussions. He called Thursday’s meeting “useful and positive,” welcomed a “new state of mind,” and agreed to intensify talks with Frost regarding fishing licenses in British waters.
Beaune mentioned that all measures are available and that both sides shall engage in dialogue as long as it seems viable. He tweeted, “Unity, solidarity and firmness in protecting our agreements, our interests and our fishermen. The dialogue between the EU and the UK is intensifying this week.” Beaune said France would review the situation in the coming week but revealed that significant differences persist.
The British side conveyed similar thoughts and noted the ministers’ willingness to continue negotiations early next week. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said, “The French government have been clear they are not looking to proceed with those threats in the coming days. I think both sides are keen to have further discussions.”
The spokesperson added that Minister Frost also met European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Friday to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol dispute and the challenges of trade post Brexit.
Fishing grounds have remained a point of contention between Europe and the UK for decades. However, the dispute erupted in September after the UK refused to grant fishing licenses to European boats and demanded paperwork to prove they had fished in British waters before UK’s exit from the European Union (EU). As per the Brexit deal, French trawlers who fished between six to 12 miles off the UK coast would be allowed to fish in British waters, provided they prove that they had fished there every year since 2016.
This move infuriated France, which accused the UK of violating the post-Brexit fishing agreement and providing limited licenses. Around 200 fishing licenses for French boats still need to be issued by the British authorities. Of these, France marked 14 licenses urgent and belonging to boats based in Northern France, whose skippers want to continue fishing in British waters.
Earlier, France announced a round of sanctions, including increased sanitary checks on goods arriving from the UK, restricting cross-Channel trade, and barring British trawlers from accessing French ports. However, last Monday, France delayed imposing trade sanctions to allow negotiators from both sides to resolve the tensions. The decision was announced after French President Emmanuel Macron met his British counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 and COP26 summits. While both sides have held discussions since then, a resolution remains distant at this stage.
France Relaunches Negotiations With UK Over Fishing Dispute, Rescinds Sanctions
Despite ongoing negotiations to resolve their dispute over fishing rights, France’s European Affairs Minister has said that significant differences persist and impede the possibility of a resolution.
November 8, 2021
SOURCE: CNA