“Today, the council approved a decision initiating negotiations on a new partnership with Britain, and officially appointed the European Commission as a negotiator on behalf of the EU,” the EU Council said in a statement.
It is noted that the EU intends to establish a “wide-ranging and balanced economic partnership” with Britain, which, according to the mandate, must be supported by obligations to ensure equal conditions for open and fair competition, taking into account geographical proximity.
The mandate states that future partnerships should support existing reciprocal access to water resources and stable quota shares.
“An agreement on fisheries should be concluded by July 1, 2020, in order to give time to determine fishing opportunities after the end of the transition period,” the EU website said.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Britain could use the issue of fishing conditions in the English Channel as an instrument of pressure on European partners in negotiations on a trade agreement until the end of 2020.
On January 31, Britain officially withdrew from the EU.
It was noted that now there is a transition period during which the parties will conduct trade negotiations.