The European Union will demand continued fishing rights in British waters as the Labor government seeks to renegotiate a fair trade deal, its Brexit negotiator told MEPs.
“We need to ensure continued access to UK waters for EU fishing fleets,” Maroš Šefčovič told the European Parliament.
The bloc’s fishing quota in British waters was cut by a quarter in the wake of Brexit, but mainland fishermen were given access to certain coastal waters subject to renewable agreements.
With the existing deal set to expire in 2026, British fishermen and government officials fear Labor could concede rights in exchange for a better trade deal with the EU.
Brussels was said to be preparing a list of “offensive interests” to use in talks with the new Labor government from July, with access to British fishing waters expected to be one of the main points of contention in the talks. .
EU expected to push for multiannual fisheries deal in future talks (File)
Maros Sefcovic speaks during the opening of the 8th Austrian World Summit in Vienna in June
Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, 25 per cent of the EU’s total existing quota in UK waters will be transferred back to the UK over several years until June 30 of 2026.
Thereafter, negotiations would be held annually, leaving room for agreements that would last several years.
A specialized fisheries committee has been tasked with meeting three times a year to manage the agreement.
The EU is expected to try to negotiate a multi-year agreement with the UK to move beyond the current, less certain situation of holding annual talks.
The telegraph reports that government officials fear the EU will only renegotiate the Brexit trade deal if the Labor Party gives in to its demands on fishing.
Before the election, senior Eurocrats predicted that fisheries would take priority in any talks with the EU after Labor came to power.
One of them told The Times in June: ‘If a new government wants new trade talks, France will ensure that any European Commission trade talks are linked to fisheries.
“The problem for Britain is that marine protection areas are where the fish that the French and others want to catch are found.”
British diplomats were said to have been alarmed earlier this year when the EU, under pressure mainly from France, began pushing to open fisheries negotiations and activated a dispute mechanism over Britain’s marine environment protection measures.
In 2022, the majority recent In the year available, UK vessels landed 640,000 tonnes of marine fish worth £1.04 billion.
This represented a two per cent drop in quantity, but a 13 per cent increase in value, driven mainly by rising fish prices.
UK landings by foreign vessels in 2022 fell four per cent on 2021 figures, while landings by UK vessels abroad fell five per cent.
The UK remains a net importer of fish, with a gross trade deficit of 316,000 tonnes in 2022, but up from 322 tonnes the previous year.
The EU announced late last year the renewal of its fisheries agreement for 2024, which it said would ensure “stability and certainty for EU fishermen and for the industry.”
Luis Planas Puchades, Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, stated then that the agreement had been reached “thanks to the good will demonstrated by both parties.”
Under the post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal, 25 percent of the EU’s total existing quota in UK waters will be transferred to the UK over a five-and-a-half-year transition period until 2026.
The then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a boat during a visit to North Devon, while on the general election campaign. Photo date: Tuesday June 18, 2024
While campaigning, Sir Keir attempted to downplay any potential setbacks from Brexit when it came to fishing rights, saying he recognized their importance to British fishermen.
He then said: “I am not going to enter into negotiations that have not yet begun.”
‘But I know how important it is to defend our fishing rights and how important it is for our fishing communities.
“I think they feel like they’ve been let down because they were told they would get a better deal than what they got, and we wouldn’t let them down on this and give up their rights, because that access and that fishing is vital to those communities.
“And I think right now they feel very disappointed.”
While Labour’s manifesto said it would not rejoin the bloc’s single market or customs union or allow freedom of movement again, it did pledge to “deepen ties” with Brussels.