France will ask the European Union to sue the United Kingdom if the fishing problem is not resolved by Friday. The European Commission had previously set a deadline for the British on December 10. The UK must then have responded to member states’ concerns about fishing licenses.
Paris and London have fought over fisheries since the United Kingdom left the European Union. Under agreements made after Brexit, licenses must be granted to fishermen who want to fish in each other’s waters, but enforcement is difficult. According to the French authorities, the British still have to approve nearly 100 licenses for French fishermen. The UK states that the correct documentation is often not available.
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Earlier this year, a British fishing boat was seized by French authorities over the dispute. In addition, commercial actions were threatened by French authorities and French fishermen set up a blockade to disrupt trade.
France’s Minister for European Affairs, Clement Bonn, told French radio that the UK was trying to isolate France from the European Union in the dispute over fishing licenses. He stressed that the European bloc is “united” on this issue.
