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Boris Johnson will demand that increasingly isolated French President Emmanuel Macron give in to UK demands on fishing as the price of a trade and security deal in a key meeting with the president of the European Commission on Saturday.
The prime minister will be strengthened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s comments on Friday, when she described Britain’s fisheries deal with Norway this week as a “constructive indicator”.
British officials argue that Norway, a non-EU state, which conducts annual negotiations with the bloc on fishing quotas, should be the model for a post-Brexit deal on shared stocks.
“I don’t think it’s a bad message for us, I think it’s rather one that shows that you can find ways to reach an agreement,” Merkel said of the London-Oslo deal.
Johnson will speak with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Saturday afternoon in a videoconference to “take stock of the negotiations and discuss the next steps.”
Von der Leyen warned on Friday that most contentious issues, including fisheries and the control of domestic subsidies, remained “completely open.” The EU now expects a deal to materialize only in late October or early November.
But in a statement, UK lead negotiator David Frost suggested there had been a movement on the state aid issue.
He made his strongest comments on access to British waters for the European fishing fleet, an issue on which the EU has been internally divided in recent weeks.
Frost said: “All things being equal, including subsidy policy, we continue to seek an agreement that ensures our ability to establish our own laws in the UK without restrictions that go beyond those appropriate for a free trade agreement. There has been some limited progress here, but the EU needs more progress before an understanding can be reached.
“In fisheries, the gap between us is unfortunately very large and, without greater realism and flexibility on the part of the EU, it runs the risk of being impossible to bridge. These problems are fundamental to our future status as an independent country. “
Macron has angered other EU capitals by insisting that Brussels takes a tough bargaining position on fishing in favor of the status quo under which France is a huge beneficiary.
Several EU representatives in Brussels have privately advised that a deal with the UK should not be jeopardized for fishing rights given its small economic value, prompting the French ambassador to describe such comments as “unacceptable” in a meeting.
Paris has insisted on maintaining the status quo, according to which fishery catches in the 1970s form the basis of current catches. The UK remains determined to replace the Common Fisheries Policy with a “zone tie” system that would provide a significant increase in catches for UK fishing fleets.
Currently, the economic zone of Great Britain is part of the common waters of the EU. The UK receives a fixed share based on the amount its fishermen caught during a reference period between 1973 and 1978.
Under the new system proposed by the UK, the two parties would agree on what percentage of shared stocks are allocated to each of their European economic zones each year. Catch quotas would be organized according to that percentage. If an annual agreement on catches is not reached, the EU fleets would be blocked in British waters.
In his statement after the last week of negotiations in Brussels, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who has repeatedly admitted that both sides should back away from “maximalist positions” on access to British waters, recognized the need to a longer journey for the British. fishermen.
Barnier said a final deal would require “a stable, sustainable and long-term agreement on fisheries, allowing the UK to further develop its fishing opportunities, while ensuring the sustainable use of resources and protecting fish activities. European fishermen and women “.
On Wednesday, The Guardian revealed that Britain had offered a three-year transition period for European fishing fleets to allow them to prepare for post-Brexit changes as part of a last-minute deal. EU fishermen catches would be “phased out” between 2021 and 2024 to allow time for European coastal communities to adapt to changes.
Speaking to reporters at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Von der Leyen said there was “a lot of work to be done”, with 100 days before the UK exits the single market and the customs union, but added: “Where is there a? Is there a way?”
