Europe 1 with AFP 7:02 pm, November 01, 2021

Negotiations between London and Paris continued all day Monday, before the possible implementation of sanctions targeting the British fishing industry.

British fishing vessels would no longer be able to unload their cargoes in French ports.

Boris Johnson's government is preparing its response.

Despite the cordial smiles at the G20 and at the COP26, the post-Brexit showdown continues between Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson on fishing.

London summons Paris to withdraw its threats of sanctions that Paris intends to implement from Monday at midnight.

"Meetings are still underway," a diplomatic source told AFP in the middle of the afternoon, appearing to confirm intense negotiations behind the scenes.

Because if the French President and the British Prime Minister had previously exchanged long minutes smiling when Emmanuel Macron arrived at the COP26 in Glasgow, on the merits, the dispute over fishing licenses seems to be deadlocked.

Possible de-escalation?

Paris is threatening to ban British fishing vessels from unloading their cargoes in French ports and to tighten customs controls on all trucks if London does not grant more licenses to French fishermen. The retaliatory measures "would come into force this evening midnight" if no progress is recorded, reaffirmed Monday morning the Elysee, questioned by AFP. Emmanuel Macron had already warned the day before that "if the British do not make any move, obviously the measures planned from November 2 will have to be put in place".

For her part, the British Foreign Minister, Liz Truss, displayed the same firmness and again called on Sky News on Monday for the French government to withdraw its "completely unreasonable" threats, including against the Channel Islands and our industry. peach".

In the absence of a solution "within 48 hours", the head of diplomacy said the British government would rely on the dispute settlement mechanism under the post-Brexit trade agreement to request "compensatory measures".

London has warned that it is also preparing to strengthen controls on European fishing boats.

Jersey calls for 'stop all this nonsense'

This is what worries fishermen, said Monday Olivier Leprêtre, president of the regional committee for maritime fisheries and marine farming of Hauts-de-France, denouncing "the unacceptable attitude of the English and their non-compliance with signed agreements ". "The retaliatory measures are very good, it is the only solution" but "Boris Johnson will not stop there" and "at the slightest problem we will have hijacked boats", he regretted, in a press conference. But beware, he warned: "If the situation remains blocked, the fishermen will show their teeth, they must work and be able to fish in British waters as they have done since the dawn of time." According to him,only 35 licenses were granted for fishermen in the region out of the 80 requested.

Under the Brexit deal, European fishermen can continue to work in certain UK waters provided they can prove that they previously fished there.

But the French and the British argue over the nature and extent of the supporting documents to be provided.

Caught in the dispute between the two countries, Ian Gorst, Minister of External Relations for the Channel Island of Jersey, called on Sky News to "stop all this nonsense and deal with the technical problems" allowing the issuance of licenses fishing.

The sour relations between London and Paris

Even before the expiration of the ultimatum, the French authorities diverted last week to Le Havre a British trawler suspected of having fished more than two tonnes of scallops without a license.

He was still at the dock on Monday.

Contacted by AFP in the UK, Andrew Brown, spokesperson for MacDuff Shellfish based in Mintlaw, northern Scotland, said a hearing was scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday "when the terms and conditions surrounding the release of the ship will be determined, "pending the trial of the captain scheduled for August.

"The crew is keeping morale up and we are in constant contact with the boat," he added.

This file aggravates relations between Paris and London, already damaged by the torpedoing of a Franco-Australian submarine contract in favor of the Aukus defense agreement between Great Britain, the United States and Australia.

Another subject of post-Brexit tensions also persists between the European Union and the United Kingdom around Northern Ireland.

London demands the renegotiation of customs measures specific to the British province.