United Kingdom - Q&A from the press briefing (5 May 2021)

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Q : Do you have any comment on the deployment of British military vessels off the Jersey coast because of the fishing dispute? Are direct negotiations taking place between Paris and London?

A : Amid the tensions that followed the British failure to abide by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in regard to licenses for our fishermen in British waters, we are acting in a spirit of responsibility.

We hope the situation will be swiftly resolved by the full and total implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which provides for continued access to British waters for fishermen with a history of working in those waters prior to Brexit. It is our only goal, and we want to use all the leverage at our disposal to protect our fishing industry and enable it to continue its activities.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides frameworks for dialogue between the United Kingdom and the European Union in the event of difficulties. We are working very closely with the European Commission, which represents the EU in these bodies, and the Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke this morning with David Frost, Britain’s Minister of State responsible for relations with the European Union.

Together with the Ministry of Marine Affairs, we remain committed to supporting our fishing industry. On April 23, the European Commission approved a €100 million plan to support that sector.