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The European Affairs Ministers of both countries will meet to try to reach an agreement. This, after French President Emmanuel Macron extended the deadline to apply sanctions against the United Kingdom, measures with which he threatens his neighbor in case London refuses to grant more licenses to French fishermen.
The conflict between France and the United Kingdom over fishing licenses for French fishermen in British waters is in a tense calm.
After the truce that the French president gave to his neighbors on Monday – by extending the deadline to apply sanctions against him in the face of London’s refusal to grant more licenses to French fishermen – both nations are in negotiations and the ministers of European Affairs of both countries have an appointment next Thursday.
David Frost, British Minister for European Affairs, is scheduled to arrive in Paris on Thursday to meet Clément Beaune, his French counterpart.
But although both parties are in dialogue, at the moment there are no indications that London will give in. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that his stance had not changed on post-Brexit fishing rights. And he assured that his attention is now on COP26, the UN summit on climate change being held in Glasgow, Scotland.
“We are working very, very closely with our French friends and partners on the things that matter most to the people of the world, which is tackling climate change, reducing CO2,” said the president, who after being asked if his position before the conflict with France had changed answered that the answer was “No”.
France gave the United Kingdom two days
On Monday night, French President Emmanuel Macron postponed the proposed sanctions to take effect that same midnight. He gave the British two days to license more French vessels to fish in UK waters. Something that has given room for diplomacy and that has been well received by the English.
George Eustice, UK Environment Secretary, said “it is a decision of the French to step back from the threats they made.” And he added that “we welcome that.”
France had threatened the English with banning their ships from some of their ports.
In addition, they said that if they do not grant the licenses they request, they would also tighten controls on ships and trucks transporting British goods to their territory. Finally, Paris said it could restrict power supply to the Channel Islands, which are heavily dependent on French electricity.
And although the conversations continue their course, the positions seem to remain firm. In a debate in the National Assembly of France, the Minister of the Sea of this country, Annick Girardin, said, regarding Macron’s decision, that “France defends the interests of our fishermen so that they are not the slaughtered of Brexit.”
For his part, Eustice assured that “it is very important for us to have good relations with our closest neighbor and a close ally.”
Despite having extended the deadline, the French still have the British scallop vessel Cornelis Gert Jan in custody. On Tuesday, Eustice had said that it was his understanding that the vessel had been released. However, the owner of the ship, Andrew Brown, assured that it remained detained in the port of Le Havre, so a spokesman for the British minister later clarified that he had made a mistake in giving such information.
Some 11,200 French workers depend on the fishing industry
Boulogne sur Mer is the French port most affected so far and since the beginning of Brexit. The municipality, highly dependent on the fishing industry, is located in front of the English Channel and its inhabitants warn that their economy could succumb if more licenses are not approved. They are currently waiting for 45 out of 80 requested to fish in the southern waters of England.
At the national level, in France some 11,200 workers in some 490 companies that process fish are also being harmed. These companies import some 27,000 tons of British products annually, in addition to another 3,000 that are unloaded by ships from that country in ports in the country.
In September, Paris accused London of not allocating enough licenses to French vessels to fish in an area between 6 and 12 nautical miles off the coast of the United Kingdom. Something that the United Kingdom defends saying that they can only grant licenses to boats that demonstrate that they have fished in that area before.
With EFE, AFP, AP and Reuters
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