Boris Johnson expressed himself in Ursula von der Leyen of his “concerns about the French Government Rhetoric” in the conflict on fishing licenses. London is considering “actively”, for the first time, a procedure.
Le Monde with AFP
The meeting promises to be intense. While Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron must see, Sunday, and that London convened French Ambassador Catherine Colonna Friday, the tension between London and Paris was still rising from a notch on Saturday, October 30, about fishing licenses that are competing British and French.
During a meeting with the head of the European executive Ursula von der Leyen at the G20 summit in Rome, Boris Johnson complained of the threats “completely unjustified” of Paris and informed according to Downing Street, of its “concerns about the rhetoric of the French government” on this flammable subject between France and the United Kingdom.
For his part, Ursula von der Leyen tweeted That the Commission was “intensely committed to find solutions”.
For the G20 family photo, Boris Johnson arrived by greeting Emmanuel Macron in an overly combative way, but the two men did not seem to talk to each other. They must do it on Sunday face-to-head
“Rigorous controls”
France complains in the United Kingdom to give too little post-merxit licenses to its fishermen. She promised for lack of improvement to prohibit, from Tuesday, British fishing vessels to land their cargo in French ports and strengthen customs controls of trucks.
Far from calming before the G20, the tension is still mounted, Friday, with the threat of London to implement “rigorous controls” on the European boats sinking in its waters, if Paris effectively puts its threats to execution.
The French President estimated in an interview to the Financial Times as the “credibility” of the United Kingdom is at stake.
The post-Brexit agreement, concluded in extremis at the end of 2020 between London and Brussels, provides that European fishermen can continue to work in some British waters under certain conditions. London claims 98% of the applications for vessels of European Union (EU) to fish in its waters, a figure challenged by France, which speaks of 90%.
Boris Johnson said on Saturday that he was ready to activate for the first time a conflict settlement tool provided for in the post-Brexit agreements with the EU.
“No, of course not, I do not exclude it,” Johnson said at the Sky News chain on the G20 margin. “If there is a violation of the treaty or if we believe that there is a violation of the treaty, then we will do what is necessary to protect the British interests”.
“But I think what everyone wants is cooperation between the European allies and Emmanuel Macron,” he added.
“Cat Pee”
In a series of tweets, the British Secretary of State in charge of Brexit, David Frost, has addressed that London is planning “actively” to launch the dispute resolution procedure. He called on the European Union and France to give up the “rhetoric and actions that make the situation more difficult, called” anxiety “and the” surprise “of London to the terms employed by the Prime Minister French Jean Castex in a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, who was deeply reacting to London.
In this letter revealed by Politico, the leader of the French Government considers that it is “essential to clearly show the European public opinions that compliance with subscribed commitments is not negotiable and that there is more damage to Leave the European Union only to stay there “.
In this context, a British veil suspected of illegal fishing in French waters was still in Quai to Le Havre Saturday pending payment of 150,000 euros deposit. His captain must be judged in August next.
Before the opening of the COP26 on the climate Sunday in Glasgow, Boris Johnson considered that the conflict on the fishing “is frankly of the chat pee, accessory, in comparison with the threat against the humanity to which we are confronted “.