Fishing in La Manche: France suspends its threat of sanctions with a view to a new discussion

The day after their tense meeting on the fishing issue, in Rome on the sidelines of the G20, Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron met again in Glasgow this Monday, November 1 for the COP26.

AFP - CHRISTOPHER FURLONG

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

France has given up on implementing its threats against the UK for now.

No retaliatory measure will be implemented this Tuesday, November 2, due to the crisis between Paris and London over post-Brexit fishing in the Channel.

Great Britain welcomes this decision.

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The British government said it was satisfied on Monday evening, November 1, and announced that

would continue with France to avoid escalation in the dispute between the two countries over the licenses granted by London to French fishermen operating in the English Channel.

" 

 ," read a statement from Downing Street.

" 

 " adds the Prime Minister.

We have set out our response to the statement from @CBeaune this evening.

I look forward to our talks in Paris on Thursday.

https://t.co/ctUSKp3d5L pic.twitter.com/O6iqM9eu5Q

- David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) November 1, 2021

British Secretary of State for Brexit Lord David Frost said he had accepted a meeting offer made by French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune.

" 

 " he explained on Twitter.

During the day, on the sidelines of the COP26 in Glasgow, the French president indeed gave up applying

at midnight

.

Emmanuel Macron wants to " 

 " to the discussions now scheduled for Thursday with the United Kingdom, which according to him is not fulfilling its post-Brexit obligations.

Dialogue of the deaf around fishing in the English Channel

The agreement reached

end of 2020 between London and the EU provides that European fishermen can continue to work in certain British waters, provided they can prove that they were fishing there before.

French and British argue over the modalities of application.

In the still disputed fishing areas, especially around the Channel Islands, Paris is demanding more licenses for its fishermen than London has yet granted.

Nearly 50% of licenses are missing, according to France.

But only 2 small percent, according to the UK.

4 / In order to allow the dialogue thus opened to continue, the measures announced and prepared by France will not be applied before this meeting and the examination of the new British responses relating to fishing licenses.

@AnnickGirardin

- Clement Beaune (@CBeaune) November 1, 2021

The French Secretary of State hopes for "

 ", and " 

 ", assures the Elysee.

The French had threatened to prohibit British ships from unloading their cargoes in France, in particular.

As for Great Britain, on the Downing Street side, it is specified that the kingdom is ready to " 

 ".

All that remains is to see what he will do with it.

The Franco-British standoff watched like milk on fire by Brussels

The French ultimatum, but also the threat of 

, have put the European Commission up against the wall in recent days. As of last week, she set in motion consultations with London, recalls our correspondent in Brussels,

. First there was a meeting between David Frost and the European Commissioner for Relations with the United Kingdom, Maroš Šefčovič. It was at this point that the British threat was issued to control fishermen in all European countries, not just the French. And this is where the negotiations which are still in progress to try to activate the dispute settlement mechanism were initiated.

These are negotiations " 

 ", which the Commission is carrying out with British officials in this area. This expression is mainly used here to say that they are done outside the intervention of political leaders. The latter are obviously following these consultations closely, but in this case, the Commission is negotiating on behalf of the Twenty-Seven, since it is it who is responsible for the proper application of the post-Brexit agreement. From a Brussels point of view, there is therefore no direct French intervention, apart from behind the scenes. David Frost is expecting European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in London, who may therefore have to cut short his planned stay in Dubai to go and deal with fishing licenses.

The fact that the United Kingdom decides to control all European ships could only strengthen the mobilization of the Commission.

But this actually already required that all historic fishing licenses for European vessels in UK waters be renewed.

At the European Commission, it is quietly believed that these consultations with the British amount to hitting a wall.

The fisheries dossier is in this sense identical to that of Northern Ireland.

The British government appears, according to Europeans, to be maintaining a permanent conflict with France and the EU, to distract British voters from the internal problems of the United Kingdom.

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