The European Commission said on Friday 10 December that it will continue negotiations with the UK on the licences to be granted to French vessels to fish in UK waters.
As the 10 December deadline for settling the dispute was reached on Friday, the Commission said that 95% of the licences requested by France had been granted (see EUROPE 12850/10).
“Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius and the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice, agreed in November to intensify discussions (...) and we will try to complete those discussions today”, said a Commission spokeswoman, Vivian Loonela.
The French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, said on Friday that if the British “stick to their position, we will ask the European Commission, over the weekend, to announce that a dispute is underway”.
Another Commission spokesperson clarified that a dispute settlement mechanism was provided for in the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. “If the procedures were to be launched, we would follow the rules set out in the agreement”, the Commission added.
This contentious procedure will make it possible to initiate possible retaliatory measures at European level, in particular customs measures targeting British products, the French Secretary of State said.
The EU Fisheries Ministers may take up the issue on Sunday 12 December. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)