[ad_1]
The issue of access for EU fishing vessels to UK waters is one of the most difficult issues in the negotiations for a Brexit trade pact. At first it seemed movement.
The long-awaited trade pact between the European Union and Great Britain is still on the brink a few days before the end of the Brexit transition period. After receiving information on the movement in the negotiations, it was said again on Tuesday afternoon that the fisheries issue was stalled. A diplomat said that after a briefing by EU negotiator Michel Barnier, there were some open points on the subject of fair competition.
Before his meeting with the representatives of the EU states, Barnier said: “Now we are really at a crucial point and we are making one last effort.” It will continue to work and keep the EU states and the European Parliament updated.
Another EU diplomat spoke of the progress made. Most of the topics are closed temporarily or almost. “Unfortunately, the UK is not moving enough to come to an agreement on fish.” But the negotiations continued. “The EU will not slam the door on the UK and will be ready to negotiate even after January 1.”
Can you get a last minute contract?
The transitional phase of Brexit ends on December 31. Then Britain leaves the EU single market and customs union. Both sides are hoping for a last-minute trade deal to avoid tariffs and major obstacles in future economic relations.
As time is too short, the European Parliament believes that a possible agreement could no longer be ratified in time. A provisional application without official confirmation is conceivable. However, this also requires a few days in advance, according to a third source. “So if there is no deal before Christmas, provisional application is less and less likely.”
On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke by phone about the negotiations and the crown crisis. The results are unknown.
It’s not just about the fish
The main points of contention in the negotiations for months have been fair competition, control of a future deal and access to British waters for EU fishermen. Former British government adviser Raoul Ruparel described how a compromise on the last point could be seen in a guest article for the “Politico” news portal. According to this, the fishing rights of EU fishing trawlers could be gradually reduced by 35% over a period of five years.
The British would still have the opportunity to bring their fish to the European market duty free. This should be accompanied by the possibility of Brussels introducing tariffs in the event that the British further restrict the access of EU fishermen, but only at an independently determined level.
According to the “Financial Times”, EU circles confirmed that there had been a similar offer from London. The offer was apparently not enough for the EU. Both parties are in public silence on the podium. Negotiating circles said they were approaching “in slow motion.”
Fishing is very symbolic for France and Great Britain
Fishing is only a relatively small branch of the economy: the Ifo Institute in Munich estimates the total value of EU catches in British waters at around € 520 million. But it has great symbolic and political significance for EU coastal states like France. Also for Britain it is a central issue of Brexit and national self-determination.
If negotiations fail, the chaos in Britain’s ports caused by the coronavirus pandemic could worsen. France halted the flow of goods from Britain into the English Channel on Sunday after the British government announced its findings on a new variant of the coronavirus. Some saw the chaos in the English Channel as a preview of a possible no-deal.
