The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) are continuing thus far unsuccessful attempts to resolve their post-Brexit disputes over the Northern Ireland Protocol and fishing rights in Britain’s territorial waters.
The UK officially exited the bloc earlier this year, and since then, the two have been engaged in disputes over the Brexit trade deal. Last month, the UK refused to give licenses to European fishermen in certain British waters. London insists that fishermen need to provide proof of evidence that they fished in Britain’s territorial waters before Brexit to claim a fishing license. France claims Britain’s refusal to grant fishing licenses violated the post-Brexit trade agreement and urged London to stick to its promises.
France has been rallying the EU’s support for joint action against London if necessary. Last week, French Prime Minister Jean Castex accused the UK of not respecting the trade agreement and urged the EU to review the agreement's implementation. On Wednesday, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune gave an ultimatum to the UK over the issue of fishing licenses and demanded an answer within eight days.
Beaune said, “In about a week or so we will be announcing response, retaliation, retaliation where appropriate, national or European, if we do not have concrete UK signals on the licensing issue.” The retaliatory measures include a reduction in the delivery of electricity to Jersey along with actions in the research or financial sector.
He added, “We have been very patient, too patient (...) The British do not want to give a certain number of licenses, not because they lack information but because they made this political choice.”
Concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU proposed a new agreement to ease tensions between London and Brussels. The proposal offers relaxation in official checks required on food products entering Northern Ireland from the UK and reduces the certification process by 80%. This would facilitate easy access to British made foods, including Cumberland sausages.
EU-UK Dispute Coverage:
- UK Warns of Unilateral Action in Ireland As EU Refuses to Proposed Changes
- Rift Over Northern Ireland Protocol Continues As UK Rejects EU’s Proposal
- EU Refuses to Renegotiate Post-Brexit Deal With UK on Northern Ireland
In a tweet, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said, “We have listened to, engaged with, and heard Northern Irish stakeholders. Our proposed package of enhanced opportunities is a direct, genuine, impactful response to concerns they've raised. A real potential to make a real difference on the ground.”
In addition, Sefcovic said this proposal would reduce customs formalities, and the businesses bringing goods would only have to declare basic information to the customs office. The EU also committed to changing its internal policies to ensure that Northern Ireland has long-term access to medicines manufactured in Great Britain. However, the proposal came with conditions. The EU expects Britain to respect the agreement and build border posts and share real-time data on the movement of goods.
In response, a British government spokesperson on Wednesday said, “Significant changes which tackle fundamental issues at the heart of the protocol, including governance, must be made if we are to agree a durable settlement.” The UK wants to completely overhaul the oversight role of the European Court of Justice.
EU officials are already in London to discuss the proposed changes to the Protocol. However, the bloc’s proposal differs from London’s expectations, which might extend the dispute between the two sides over the Brexit trade deal.