The announcement came after a discussion between the European Commissioner for the Environment and Fisheries and the British Minister responsible for the environment.
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A firm reaction. The European Commission has asked Great Britain, Wednesday 24 November, to settle the dispute over fishing licenses before 10 December, announced one of its spokespersons. “Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius [Environnement et pêche] met today with the minister [britannique de l’environnement] George Eustice) “, said the spokesperson.
“Regarding replacement vessels and Guernsey waters, work continues to find a solution by the end of the month.”, he clarified. France raised the tone and asked the Commission to be “more active” to settle this dispute. “The space for dialogue must have a deadline and this deadline the Commission must give to the UK”, declared the Minister of Fisheries Annick Girardin.
France is demanding more fishing licenses in London and the Channel Island of Jersey as part of the post-Brexit agreement signed at the end of 2020. European fishermen can continue to work in British waters provided they can prove that they fished there before. But the French and the British argue over the nature and extent of the supporting documents to be provided.
In total, since January 1, 2021, France has obtained “more than 960 licenses” of fishing in British waters and the Channel Islands, but Paris is still asking for more than 150 authorizations, according to the French Ministry of the Sea.