Even as France and the UK attempted to de-escalate tensions over fishing rights on Sunday, France’s junior minister for European affairs contended that Britain’s denial of licenses to French fishers was a “political choice” and Paris will respond against it with proportionate retaliatory measures from Nov. 2.
Clement Beaune made the statement in reaction to the UK’s Brexit Secretary David Frost’s Twitter thread that threats issued by France against the UK constituted a breach by the EU of its treaty obligations. Frost said that London will lodge a legal case if the threats are implemented.
France has announced tightening of customs controls and banning entry to British trawlers from unloading their cargo in French ports from Nov. 2 if the UK continues to deny issuing licenses.
Countering Frost’s claims that the UK has delivered on the obligations of the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement and granted 98% of applications, Beaune said that a majority of the missing licenses were of the French fishers.
After 10 months of negotiations, when a significant amount of licenses, targeting one country, is missing, it is not a technical issue, it is a political choice and a breach of the agreement, Beaune rebutted.
In a series of tweets, the minister asserted that the UK has dismissed over 40% of requests by French fishers who have traditionally fished in the English Channel. Around 90% of the EU fishers’ requests were granted, but the ones refuted were all French, he claimed.
He added that France will go ahead and impose “proportionate and reversible measures” within the framework of the post-Brexit agreement from Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The verbal spat in the online realm continued even as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome. Johnson has urged France to de-escalate the rhetoric and withdraw its threats, according to a statement from his office.
Source: Anadolu Agency
