Post-Brexit fishing: Paris raises the tone vis-à-vis London

Published on : 10/28/2021 – 9:45 AM

France once again calls on the European Commission to put more pressure on the British to respect the commitments made in the framework of the agreements signed to organize Brexit, while tensions between Paris and London over the granting of fishing licenses in the British waters keep increasing.

The European Commission “must work harder to ensure that the United Kingdom meets its commitments,” Minister for the Sea, Annick Girardin, told RTL, just over three weeks after a similar call from the Prime Minister. minister, Jean Castex.

“We want the European Commission to bring together the partnership council – that is to say the signatories – to signal to the United Kingdom that it is not respecting its agreement and therefore that retaliatory measures can be taken”, she added.

“It’s not war, it’s a fight. The French and the fishermen have rights, there was an agreement signed; we must enforce this agreement,” she insisted.

The Ministry of the Sea announced on the night of Wednesday to Thursday the verbalization of two English vessels fishing in French waters by the maritime gendarmerie, which diverted the first to Le Havre.

“This operation is part of the tightening of controls in the Channel, in the context of discussions on licenses with the United Kingdom and the European Commission”, it was indicated in the press release.

>> Read also: Fishing, Northern Irish protocol: post-Brexit sticking points persist

On Wednesday, France announced the entry into force at the beginning of November of “targeted measures” aimed in particular at fishing vessels and British imports. From November 2, British fishing vessels will be prohibited from landing in designated French ports, and security checks will be systematic.

One of the vessels verbalized was not on the license lists granted to the United Kingdom by the European Commission and France, it was diverted to Le Havre by the gendarmerie. The other was fined for obstructing control after refusing to comply with the request to board the maritime gendarmes.

“We will have no tolerance, no complacency, added the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, on CNews. We cannot be in a climate of trust with a partner who does not respect the rules. . “

With Reuters