After the governments of the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands agreed to issue 83 more operating licenses before the EU deadline, France quietly abandoned the threat of a trade war on access to fishery waters after Brexit.
This proposal did not fully meet the requirements of the Emmanuel Macron government, but Brussels and Paris expressed satisfaction after a period of belligerent rhetoric.
However, it remains to be seen whether the French fishing community will accept these decisions. In recent days, threats to block British cargo from entering Calais before Christmas have been issued.
On Sunday, EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius thanked the United Kingdom for “respecting” the December 10 deadline, before which Paris requested additional permits for small boats seeking to fish in the coastal waters of the United Kingdom and Jersey and Guernsey. British royal dependency.
He said: “I think this is a very important step taken last night, and I thank the UK for complying with the December 10 deadline we set.
“The two weeks have been very stressful, and we have now managed to add more than 80 licenses. This [European] Together with the French authorities, we will review each application to see if sufficient data has been provided to obtain a permit. Britain always says that they keep their doors open. So, of course, if there is a case, the committee will review these possibilities with the French authorities. “
Annick GiladinThe French maritime minister said that her government will seek to help fishermen who have not succeeded.
The French government issued a series of threats for alleged failure to comply with the trade agreement to provide enough boats with fishing permits to the waters around the United Kingdom, Jersey and Guernsey.
Downing Street insisted that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the applicant had previously fished in coastal waters.
But Macron asked for a “goodwill gesture” before midnight on December 10. French ministers talked about cutting energy supplies to Jersey and imposing tariffs on British trade.
The latest threat is to initiate dispute procedures in the EU-UK trade agreement, despite the apparent lack of enthusiasm among other major member states with fisheries interests.
The latest round of controversy over individual permits continued after the French deadline, but both parties seemed satisfied at the end of the talks.
After French fishermen have provided further evidence in recent days, the UK issued 18 permits for new ships on Saturday to replace those previously operating in British territorial waters. It is expected that another seven people will be allowed to enter on Monday.The five vessels previously granted temporary licenses also obtained permanent licenses in Jersey waters
An estimated 81 permit applications have not been approved, but the UK has expressed willingness to review any new evidence. The committee had previously admitted that some applications were “poor.”
