France asks the European Commission to act "firmly" to "accelerate" the implementation of the post-Brexit fisheries agreement concluded with the United Kingdom, while discontent is mounting among French fishermen.
The Minister of the Sea Annick Girardin and the Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune, in a joint press release, recalled "the need for firm and determined action by the European Commission to ensure the full application of the agreement" .
"We will act in a spirit of European solidarity, of cooperation with the United Kingdom, but the urgency demands an acceleration of collective efforts", they underlined in a joint statement released late Thursday evening.
"The full issuance of licenses to access British waters, the swift resolution of essential issues such as forward bases must be ensured as soon as possible," they added.
A "warning shot"
More than a hundred fishermen mobilized during the night from Thursday to Friday in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais), the first French fishing port, to protest against "the lie" of the agreement. concerning access to English waters. They were standing by to block trucks coming in from the UK carrying British fish. "This night of action is a warning shot and if nothing happens at European level, then we will move up a gear", warned the president of the Regional Fisheries Committee, Olivier Leprêtre.
Fishermen denounce the delay in granting licenses to access British waters, nearly three months after the agreement on fishing between London and Brussels.
As part of this agreement, the UK is to issue fishing licenses for the 6-12 nautical mile zone.
According to Olivier Leprêtre, the United Kingdom only granted a license to access British waters to 22 boats out of 120.
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