The post-Brexit dispute between France and the UK over fishing licences for French fishermen is close to being resolved after months of negotiations, European Commissioner for Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said on Sunday 10 April.
“We have managed to get most of the licences that have been requested” by French boat owners to fish in British waters, with only 70 licences outstanding, he told the Financial Times.
The European Commission “fully intends to continue to build a satisfactory and constructive relationship with the United Kingdom”, he said.
Although it has granted nearly 1,700 fishing licences to EU vessels, the UK has required documentation for the renewal of fishing rights which, according to Paris, is very difficult to provide for French vessels operating in the 6-12 nautical mile zone.
Speaking to MEPs on 5 April, Mr Sinkevičius said that despite the many challenges, “we have made substantial progress in addressing concerns relating to licensing. Seamless access was ensured for the majority of the EU fleet and we will continue to work extremely hard to ensure that all fishermen who are entitled to a licence shall obtain one in full respect of the agreement” (see EUROPE 12926/19).
The Commission has prepared a working document on the Union’s position at the 2022 meetings of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries, established by the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Link to this document: https://aeur.eu/f/17c (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)