On Tuesday 5 April the European Parliament criticised the fact that the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement will gradually reduce the Fisheries quota shares in UK waters for the EU fleet by 25% over a period of five and a half years.
In adopting (619 votes in favour, 12 against and 5 abstentions) the report by Manuel Pizarro (S&D, Portugal) on the effects of Brexit, the European Parliament called on the Commission to “take all necessary measures to ensure that after 30 June 2026, reciprocal access to waters and fisheries resources is maintained and that no further quota cuts are imposed on EU fishermen after the end of the transition period”.
Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius clarified that under the EU/UK agreement, after 2026 the quota shares of the total allowable catches managed bilaterally “remain stable”. Reciprocal access to waters is a separate issue. According to the agreement, this access will have to be renegotiated every year from 2026 onwards in the framework of the annual consultations on fishing opportunities. “We believe there is an interest on both sides to grant such reciprocal access and we count on both parties to continue negotiating fishing opportunities after 2026 in good faith and ensuring a mutually satisfactory balance. We will not hesitate to defend an interest of the EU’s fleets or enforce compensatory measures in line with the provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, should the need arise”, the Commissioner said. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)