On Monday 11 January, MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries were rather critical of the fisheries section of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which has been in force since 1 January 2021 (see EUROPE 12632/3, 12632/4).
While they generally welcomed the existence of fisheries arrangements between the parties, Members on this committee expressed doubts about the proper implementation of the agreement after the end of the transitional period in 2026.
Fisheries to receive €600 million. The European Commission has indicated that the ‘Brexit Adjustment Reserve’ (total budget of €5 billion) would compensate EU fishermen to the tune of €600 million, due to the loss of income resulting from the 25% reduction in value of fishing rights in UK waters.
Everyone agrees that “having an agreement is better than not having an agreement at all”, said Charlina Vitcheva, Director General in DG MARE, after the MEPs’ interventions. She welcomed an agreement that is “ ambitious, well-anchored in environmental sustainability” (taking into account the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy).
But several MEPs expressed doubts about the quality of the agreement after the transitional period in 2026.
François-Xavier Bellamy (EPP, France), rapporteur on the dossier, wondered what would happen after 2026. “There is real uncertainty about the status of this 25%”, referring to the decline in value of fisheries opportunities in British waters. Indeed, he considered that “no investment will be possible if we do not guarantee visibility for our fishermen in the most affected areas”. Hence the need, according to Mr Bellamy, to link the issue of fisheries to all the subjects discussed with the British. In his view, it is necessary to avoid that everything related to fisheries be called into question in 2026 and that the British go beyond the 25%. “It is necessary to be able to use the leverage that the commercial issue offers, that of financial services”, he said.
“We are very worried about the long term”, said Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spain). He agreed that the EU did not have “sufficient guarantees” on access to British waters after the five and a half year transitional period.
Clara Aguilera Garcia (S&D, Spain) called for a “common front among Parliament, EU Council and Commission to defend our fisheries sector”. She believes that compensation measures for fishermen should be provided for.
The agreement does not live up to the expectations of Danish fishermen, protested Søren Gade (Renew Europe, Denmark).
Grace O’Sullivan (Greens/EFA, Ireland) conceded that nobody likes this agreement and that Irish fishermen will suffer.
Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR, the Netherlands) also wondered about the distribution of quotas for the long term and the tools available to prevent the British from restricting access to their waters.
Good faith. Responding to questions from MEPs on this 260-page fisheries agreement, Ms Vitcheva said that after 1 July 2026, there will be default access. The only thing that will change is that if a TAC is not agreed by 10 December or 31 March of the year in which the TAC is set, “either party may notify the other party of the changes”.
This is how things are done with the Norwegians, the Director General assured. “Do not fear the issue of access to waters as of 1 July 2026”, Ms Vitcheva stressed. Having a stable agreement for the first six years is a good thing, in her view. “These six years will set the scene in terms of relations with” the United Kingdom, she said.
Ms Vitcheva said she hoped that the good cooperation with the United Kingdom would continue after 2026. In short, she considered that “stability during the first six years will allow a tradition of good faith and good cooperation to be established”.
Stable quotas in the future. The reduction in fisheries quotas will be stabilised in 2025, the Commission representative also assured. The reduction in quotas will end in 2025. “Afterwards, the quotas will be stable. For the first 10 years, the distribution of quotas will not be reopened. The review clause may be triggered four years after the adjustment period. But if one of the two parties does not wish to change the quotas, we will continue with what exists at that time”, Ms Vitcheva explained.
Pierre Karleskind (Renew Europe, France), Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Fisheries, asked the Commission to provide data on the impacts of this agreement on the different countries. He expressed doubts that after 2026, the United Kingdom would conduct the negotiations in good faith. He criticised the rigidity of the agreement and called for the continuation of a simple EU-UK quota trading scheme. On the Channel Islands, Mr Karleskind criticised the difficult access conditions.
Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA, France) wondered what measures should be taken to avoid a concentration of fishing in certain places and thus overexploitation of stocks in European waters. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)