(Bloomberg) — The European Union said it’s close to reaching an agreement with the U.K. on post-Brexit fishing rights involving the island of Guernsey, one of the thorniest issues in the Anglo-French relationship.
“Intensified talks have brought us close to concluding the licensing process for vessels seeking access to the waters of Guernsey, and we expect the licensing decisions to be announced soon,” European Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
Ties between the U.K. and France have been strained since Great Britain left the bloc, with the allies engaged in disagreements ranging from the fishing licenses to trade rules in Northern Ireland. The French government has threatened retaliatory trade action against London over a lack of licenses issued to its boats to fish in British waters.
French fishermen blocked access to ports in northern France last week to try to heap pressure on the U.K. over the issue. They also jammed the ramp leading to the Eurotunnel freight terminal between Britain and France near Calais.
Sinkevicius tweeted that he had spoken with British Environment Secretary George Eustice and that 43 vessels “now have the certainty of continuing their fishing activities in Guernsey waters.” He added that 40 of them were licensed earlier Wednesday.
“Looking ahead, all European vessels qualifying under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement need to receive a license swiftly in order to put an end to the current climate of uncertainty for the fishers, which has lasted for far too long,” Sinkevicius said in his remarks to Bloomberg.
Clement Beaune, the French minister of state for European Affairs, said earlier this week that France is hoping for progress, especially on Guernsey, as soon as this week in talks to end the spat over fisheries. He told RTL radio that the EU wants a “strong signal” from the U.K., with “many” fish licenses granted by Dec. 10.
If nothing happens by then, Beaune said, France blocking access to its ports for British fishermen could be one “possible” option. French retaliatory measures could include tighter customs checks and increasing energy costs for the British Channel Islands, which are heavily reliant on electricity from France via an undersea cable.
Tensions between the U.K. and the EU over Northern Ireland appear to have calmed in recent weeks, with the U.K. saying it will continue negotiating for as long as talks continue to be constructive. Many in the EU had feared that Britain was going to imminently walk away from the negotiations, which could have precipitated a trade war.
(Updates with commissioner’s tweet in fifth paragraph)
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