The European Parliament Committee on Fisheries is expected to call for the future EU-UK trade agreement to include a 'safeguard clause' stipulating that any violation of the reciprocal access clauses to waters and resources would lead to a “suspension of preferential tariffs for UK products on the EU market”.
The Parliament’s Fisheries Committee debated, on Thursday 30 April, the draft opinion by François-Xavier Bellamy (EPP, France) on recommendations for negotiations for a new partnership with the UK. The request for a safeguard clause that would link the trade agreement to access to waters is contained in a compromise amendment.
Mr Bellamy's opinion is expected to be adopted on 25 May by the Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, with a view to a plenary vote in June on the partnership with the UK (see EUROPE 12444/4).
No date set in stone. Mr. Bellamy indicated that it was “awkward” to include a deadline requirement in the opinion.
He prefers mentioning the need to move forward “as quickly as possible” in the fisheries negotiations and to provide, if necessary, for an extension of the transition period (which currently expires at the end of December 2020). It is better, he said, to “extend the transition period a little and reach a lasting agreement that gives long-term visibility”. The issue at stake is to avoid a short-term agreement that would have to be renegotiated every year, which is what the British want.
The fisheries agreement must be concluded by 1 July 2020, a deadline which seems highly unlikely after the lack of progress in the latest talks (see EUROPE 12474/11).
The draft opinion also stresses the need to respect the principles of sustainability and 'relative stability' in the allocation of fishing quotas.
Manuel Pizarro (S&D, Portugal) wants the European Parliament to be “united” on this issue. His group advocates “extending the transitional period” in order to find a balanced agreement. The extension of the transitional period was also supported, in particular, by Francisco José Millán Mon (EPP, Spain).
For Søren Gade (Renew Europe, Denmark), there is also no question of separating the trade agreement and the future fisheries agreement. Hence the need for this 'safeguard clause' that would link the trade agreement to access to waters. Mr Gade also believes that British fish products sold in the EU must meet the environmental, social and phytosanitary standards which prevail in the EU. There is also a need for provisions on the prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in EU and UK waters. Mr Gade welcomed the fact that most of these points were included in the compromise amendments.
Grace O'Sullivan (Greens/EFA, Ireland) stressed the need to preserve marine ecosystems and keep stocks in good condition.
The Parliament’s Fisheries Committee Chair, Pierre Karleskind (Renew Europe, France), called for the “principle of reciprocity” to be taken into account in order to avoid any “backtracking”. For him, fair competition and consumer protection are paramount.
This fisheries agreement must be “the sine qua non condition for a broader economic agreement with the UK”, Francisco José Millán Mon hammered home.
The representative of the European Commission noted “a convergence of views” in this Committee “with the Commission and the EU Council” on the fisheries negotiations. “Michel Barnier wants a lasting, balanced and long-term agreement”, said the Commission representative.
He added that the UK had not yet made public a proposed text, while the EU was able to “clarify its expectations” about the agreement. There are still two rounds of negotiations before the beginning of June. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)