On Tuesday 26 October, the European Commission indicated that France had won its case for obtaining fishing licences for British waters, but the situation is still not satisfactory for France.
France believes that the UK is not respecting the Trade and Cooperation Agreement by restricting access to the 6-12 mile zones and the Channel Islands, and is threatening to take retaliatory measures if the problem is not resolved by 1 November (see EUROPE 12819/6).
Figures from the European Commission (published on 25 October) show that 15 small vessels (out of 47 that applied) had been granted licences to fish in UK waters as of 1 October. “There are 15 vessels that the UK considers to have provided insufficient evidence, but there is still a possibility for them to be granted a licence if further information can be obtained,” a Commission spokesperson said. There are also 17 vessels for which the evidence is considered poor.
Regarding Jersey, 66 out of 170 French smaller vessels have been granted licences and two more are likely to receive theirs in the next few days. The evidence provided by 35 ships could be improved; but 69 others have provided sufficient information. Their temporary licences, which expired on 30 September, will be extended until 31 January 2022 for 34 vessels. For the remaining vessels, a 30 day notice to suspend their activity was given. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)