The Minister of the Sea, Annick Girardin, will meet the officials of the Anglo-Norman Island of Jersey, Monday in Paris, to negotiate more licenses for French fishermen.
Le Monde with AFP
The ultimatum is accurate. While the French Secretary of State for European Affairs has claimed by October 22 of the “concrete signals on the issue of post-Brexit fishing licenses granted by the Anglo-Norman Island of Jersey to French fishermen, the Minister French of the sea goes further.
At the end of an interview with the Vice-President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic and the Virginjus Fisheries Commissioner Sinkevicius, Friday, October 15, Annick Girardin said she wanted a solution from here to 1 er November.
Maturity remains “NOVED “, since the end of October is the last limit for Jersey to give his answers to the demands of licenses “French fishermen, who have up to At that date to provide the required documents, she explained in Brussels.
“We are two weeks of this decision [of Jersey]. Nothing is today dismissed, nor by France, neither by the European Commission”, which negotiates on behalf of Paris with London, emphasized the Minister who will meet the leaders of Jersey’s Anglo-Norman Island, Monday in Paris.
Wednesday, France had indicated that it would take measures of “reply”, even “retortion”, “by about eight days” if Jersey did not give more licenses to the French fishermen. In particular, it threatens to reduce its electricity deliveries to the island and target its key financial services sector.
“The Commission must list the retaliation measures provided for in the [Commercial Post-Brexit] Agreement. It is obvious that if the Commission did not act, if the United Kingdom and Jersey were not at the meeting. You have confidence, it will be necessary to act on our own. “
Jersey judges the threats of Paris” disproportionate “
The post-Brexit agreement, concluded in extremis end 2020 between London and Brussels, provides that European fishermen can continue to work in some British waters provided that they have a license, granted if they can prove that they there was before.
But French and British are fighting over the nature and scale of the supporting documents – especially for small vessels devoid of tracing system or new boats that have replaced an older boat.
In the fishing grounds still played (Zone of 6-12 miles from the British coasts and Anglo-Norman Islands), London and Jersey granted a total of 200 final licenses, while Paris reclaims more than 230, of which A hundred in Jersey and nearly some sixty for the neighboring island of Guernsey.
The local Jersey government, competent for its fishing areas, announced Friday having granted two additional licenses to French fishermen, while calming and judging the threats of “disproportionate”.