The Secretary of State for European Affairs reiterated that France would not wait beyond Friday a gesture of the British, which firmly refused the ultimatum.
Le Monde with AFP
No sign of appeasement in the Franco-British quarrel on post-Brexit fisheries licenses. On the contrary: the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, confirmed Friday, December 10th on FranceInfo than in the absence of progress by the end of the day, if the British “camp on their position, we will ask the European Commission, in the weekend, to announce that litigation is Engaged “.
For more than eleven months, French and British compete with the modalities of application of the trade agreement concluded after the Brexit between London and Brussels, which sets the conditions of access to British waters for European fishermen. Under the pressure of Paris, the European Commission asked the end of November in London to settle the litigation of fisheries licenses before Friday, December 10. Thursday evening, the United Kingdom has deceited this deadline, while Paris claims a European arbitration, promising to go to litigation if necessary.
“There will be no, I say it very clearly, all the licenses we are entitled to here tonight,” said Mr. Beaune. “If the British today say” we give a few tens of additional licenses “as a gesture of good will, to show that the dialogue is fruitful and that we have an interest in continuing it, we will take it into account, we will do the Assessment with the European Commission and maybe we will continue “to dialogue,” he explained.
“Boris Johnson did not succeed”
Otherwise, France will go to litigation. “This means that there is a legal procedure, which the European Commission did not want to engage with the British until then, that now it takes into account”, and which must act that London “does not respect the Agreement “of the end of 2020, he said. “I think [the British Prime Minister] Boris Johnson said he could isolate the French and divide the Europeans. He did not succeed,” he said.
This contentious procedure will provide possible retaliation measures at European level, including customs measures for British products, has again declared the French Secretary of State.
A spokesman for the European Executive, Vivian Loonela, indirectly answered Mr. Beaune, on Friday, ensuring the press that the European Commission and London always wanted to conclude their discussions today on fishing licenses today claimed by France. “The Commission and the United Kingdom have mutually committed to leading their talks for a successful conclusion today,” she said, while scrutinizing the term “ultimatum” employed by Paris.