France has urged the EU to back it in its row with the UK over fishing rights, and has given Britain a deadline of Tuesday to act before it takes action.
The fight over who can fish in UK waters has intensified, with France threatening to block its British boats from its ports and tighten checks on vessels.
The UK has said it could retaliate if France carries out its hardline stance, with Boris Johnson saying he will do ‘whatever it takes’ to protect his country’s fishermen.
The row revolves around how many French boats are allowed to fish in UK waters, as both sides have had to renegotiate fishing arrangements due to Brexit.
Last month the French government reacted with fury after only a quarter of the 47 applications fishing licenses were approved – and warned of ‘retaliatory action’.
France says its fisherman have only been granted half of the licences it says it is entitled to.
The UK has only approved 16 applications so far and a further 14 are being considered, while 17 have been withdrawn due to ‘poor evidence.
In order to get these licences for British waters, fishing crews much provide proof that they have fished in them for 10 days in any of the past three years.
In May French trawlers descended on the harbour of St Helier, Jersey, setting off flares in a protest over post-Brexit fishing rights, fleeing when two Royal Navy gunships showed up.
President Macron has said Britain’s behaviour is a test of its ‘credibility’ and shows it has not kept promises made during Brexit negotiations.
He told the Financial Times: ‘When you spend years negotiating a treaty and then a few months later you do the opposite of what was decided on the aspects that suit you the least, it is not a big sign of your credibility.’
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Jean Castex escalated the situation when he wrote to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to ask her to get Brussels to back France’s position.
According to the Telegraph he has urged the EU to use the ‘levers at its disposal’ to ‘make clear…that compliance with the commitments entered into is non-negotiable and that leaving the Union is more damaging than remaining in it.’
Johnson has admitted there is ‘turbulence’ in Anglo-French relations at the moment and has vowed to do ‘whatever is necessary to ensure UK interests’.
He said he was ‘puzzled about what is going on’ and claimed Paris’ behaviour could be in contravention of the UK’s Brexit deal with the EU.
Speaking to reporters on the flight to the G20 in Rome, he urged British fishermen to ‘be confident about going about their lawful business’ as he promised action against any infringements on their right to fish.
No 10 said it would not be commenting on Mr Macron’s latest remarks.
President and chairman of the ports of Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, has called the row and subsequent threats over fishing rights ‘ridiculous.’
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said there would be ‘terrible’ consequences if France carried out its threat of blocking British trawlers from French ports over the decision to deny ‘only 40 little boats’.
‘If no agreement can be found, it will be a drama, it will be a disaster in your country because the trucks will not cross (the border),’ he said.
‘I think it is a ridiculous point and I hope that the British will find an agreement, a solution to get out of this point.’
He added: ‘For us in Calais, I think it is on Tuesday, we have to control more trucks getting out of our port and trucks coming from your country.
‘But it will be terrible for both sides of the Channel: for you, for us, for the ports, the fishermen in your country, for the fishermen in our country.
‘And that’s only for 40 little boats which are not allowed to fish in your country, so I hope there will be an agreement on that over the weekend.’
The wrangle over fishing access was escalated this week when French authorities accused a Scottish-registered scallop dredger of fishing without a licence.
The captain of the Cornelis Gert Jan vessel, understood to be an Irish national, was detained in Le Havre during the diplomatic storm and has been told to face a court hearing in August next year.
French authorities allege the Cornelis Gert Jan did not have a licence, a claim the boat’s owner Macduff Shellfish denies. The EU said UK authorities withdrew the licence on March 1.
As a result, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss took the rare step of ordering an allied nation’s envoy to be summoned.
She called Catherine Colonna, French ambassador to the UK, to the Foreign Office to challenge her over her country’s stance.
Ms Colonna’s conversation with Europe minister Wendy Morton lasted less than 15 minutes.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the minister ‘expressed concern’ to the ambassador over ‘unjustified measures announced by France earlier this week’.
Like the Prime Minister, it warned of a possible breach of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA).
The meeting came after ministers promised retaliation if France did not back down over its proposals if next week’s deadline for more licences is not met.
Brexit minister Lord Frost warned of ‘rigorous’ checks on EU vessels if the threats were carried out.
While Environment Secretary George Eustice did not rule out blocking French vessels.
He condemned a ‘completely inflammatory’ claim from France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune that the only language Britain understands is ‘the language of force.’
Asked by the BBC how the UK would respond if France blocked British trawlers, the Cabinet minister responded: ‘Two can play at that game.’
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