No sign of appeasement in the Franco-British quarrel over post-Brexit fishing licenses. On the contrary: the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, confirmed on Friday December 10 on Franceinfo that in the absence of progress by the end of the day, if the British “Stick to their position, we will ask the European Commission, over the weekend, to announce that a dispute is underway”.
For more than eleven months, the French and the British have been arguing over the terms of application of the trade agreement concluded after Brexit between London and Brussels, which sets the conditions of access to British waters for European fishermen. Under pressure from Paris, the European Commission asked London at the end of November to settle the fishing license dispute before Friday, December 10. Thursday evening, the United Kingdom sharply rejected this deadline, while Paris calls for European arbitration, promising to go to litigation if necessary.
“There will not be, I say it very clearly, all the licenses to which we are entitled by this evening”, regretted Mr. Beaune. “If the British today say ‘we are giving a few dozen additional licenses’ as a gesture of goodwill, to show that the dialogue is bearing fruit and that it is in our interest to continue it further, we will take that into account, we will do it. ‘evaluation with the European Commission and maybe we will continue ” to dialogue, he explained.
“Boris Johnson did not succeed”
Otherwise, France will go to litigation. “This means that there is a legal procedure, which the European Commission did not want to initiate with the British until then, which it is now taking into account”, and who must record the fact that London “Does not respect the agreement” end of 2020, he said. ” I think that [le premier ministre britannique] Boris Johnson told himself he could isolate the French and divide the Europeans. He did not succeed “, he said.
This litigation procedure will make it possible to initiate possible retaliatory measures at European level, in particular customs measures targeting British products, the French Secretary of State added.
A spokeswoman for the EU executive, Vivian Loonela, indirectly responded to Mr Beaune on Friday, assuring the press that the European Commission and London still wanted to conclude today their discussions on the fishing licenses claimed by the France. “The Commission and the UK are mutually committed to bringing their talks to a successful conclusion today”, she said, while challenging the term“Ultimatum” employed by Paris.
“Delaying maneuvers”
Around a quarter of French catches (excluding the Mediterranean) in volume (around 20% in value) come from British waters, which are rich in fish and which are the source of 650 million euros in annual sales for EU fishermen.
France obtained 1,004 post-Brexit fishing licenses and in “Still waiting 104”, according to the French Ministry of the Sea. While welcoming the constructive work carried out with the Anglo-Norman island of Guernsey, which issued around forty licenses in early December, the French Minister for the Sea, Annick Girardin, regretted Thursday the issuance of authorizations in a dropper by Jersey and especially deplored the “Delaying tactics” from the United Kingdom.
On the French Channel coast, fishermen are losing patience. They repeated that they provided “All required documents” to prove that they had fished in British waters before, within the reference periods required by London and the Channel Islands. It is in the area between 6 and 12 miles off the British coast that the greatest number of French licenses is now lacking. Discussions are stumbling in particular on the fate of 40 replacement vessels – new boats bought by fishermen to renew their fleet – files which London refuses to consider the priority.
In this quarrel, the tone has already been raised on several occasions: a blockade of Jersey by French fishermen in May; French threats of sanctions in October, and, more recently, the blocking by French fishermen of ports and the freight terminal of the Channel Tunnel, through which 25% of trade between the United Kingdom and Europe passes.
Beyond the issue of licenses, that of fishing methods and quotas also promises to be very difficult. “If France delays for political or diplomatic reasons”, warned Bruno Dachicourt, of the National Union of fishermen CFTC, the fishermen do not exclude “New Shares”.