EU concede European fleets don’t have automatic right to fish in UK waters post-Brexit

Reports emerging this morning are suggesting that the EU is finally ready to concede that from January 2021 European fleets will not have the automatic right to fish in UK waters. Whilst the UK officially left the European Union back in January of this year, the negotiations have been ongoing with neither side currently able to come to an agreement. 

However, UNN’s Oliver Down understands that during crucial talks with the Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is supremely confident that there is a “very good chance” of agreeing a trade deal by the end of the year. One of the main sticking points during the post Brexit negotiations so far was fishing as the EU was insistent that Britain must respect the right of member states’ fleets to access UK waters as per the Common Fisheries Policy. 

Reports in the Times are now suggesting that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator is aware of the need to treat the UK as an independent coastal state, if trade talks are to advance. The source in The Times who is a senior EU diplomat has said :“To dilute the influence of France and the other coastal states, Barnier needs to have the whole trade deal, which stands of falls on fishing”. 

In response to these developments a UK government source has said: “There have been signals that this is an area where Mr Barnier wants to move, but as yet there are no firm proposals on the table”.

Following yesterday’s talks, Prime Minister Johnson said: “It’s very clear what we need to achieve, I don’t think we’re actually that far apart, but what we need now is to see a bit of oomph in the negotiations. The faster we can do this the better, we see no reason why you shouldn’t get that done in July. The issue is very clear, we fought an election based on these ideas, the manifesto was very clear”. 

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