EU Fisheries Ministers are expected to adopt a contingency plan on Monday 22 March to set interim fishing quotas for fish stocks managed with the UK until the end of July 2021 (see EUROPE 12679/9).
On Wednesday 17 March the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) discussed the European Commission’s working document providing for interim TACs until 31 July 2021, in case an agreement cannot be reached with the UK before 31 March 2021.
At the end of December 2020, the total allowable catches (TACs) had already been provisionally set for the period January to the end of March 2021 (at the level of 25% of the catch volumes of the year 2020).
Delegations generally considered that these emergency measures should not last for 4 months, but were mainly intended to remove legal uncertainties about the continuation of fishing activities.
Agreement expected next week. The European Commission is continuing its consultations with the UK to seal an agreement on the final 2021 quotas for stocks shared between the EU and the UK. The Commission hopes to reach an agreement with the UK next week, but as talks cannot be concluded early next week, ministers will have to adopt this contingency plan as a precaution. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)