The spokesman said the navy patrol boats could be used, among other things, to repel European Union fishing boats. If necessary, this will be done around the clock.
Fisheries is one of the biggest obstacles to negotiating a trade agreement. There is also a lot at stake for Flemish Hunters. There will be a transition period until the end of this year, during which British and European fishermen will share an area. London wants to regulate access to fish-rich waters itself in the future, but the European Union is pushing for a deal.
The European Commission recently suggested that the current rules be kept for the time being if talks fail. The London announcement of the deployment of the Navy appears to be a clear rejection of this proposal.
The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on January 31, 2020. However, due to the lack of time to conclude a new trade agreement, a transition period has been decided until December 31, 2020.
Until then, the British will continue to follow all European rules and also pay their membership fees to the European club, but have no say in the new political decisions. There are no longer British MPs. Nothing will change for citizens and businesses until the end of 2020.
In this way, the British and Europeans had more time to negotiate a new trade agreement, which should avert Brexit. Without agreement, for example, on import tariffs and freedom of movement of people, heavy taxes on the import and export of goods are likely to be paid, and long queues could arise at ports and airports.
