France’s Europe minister threatens legal action over post-Brexit fishing licenses

A French minister has threatened legal action against the UK government if it fails to grant further fishing licences to French vessels.

Brexit minister Lord Frost and EU Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič are set to hold virtual talks today, in what is becoming almost a weekly Friday meeting between the two.

The French authorities have complained that 104 of its vessels  have not been grated post-Brexit licenses to operate in British and Channel Island waters.

France’s Europe Minister Clement Beaune said  Britain may offer “a few dozen [licenses] more as a gesture of goodwill”, which he said would allow talks to continue.

“If they stick to their guns, then we will ask the European Commission to begin a legal complaint,” he told Franceinfo radio earlier today.

France and Britain have been embroiled in a post Brexit dispute over fishing licenses for months.

One flashpoint was triggered in the early hours of 28 October, when France detained a British trawler and verbally warned another off the coast of Le Havre.

France has complained that its fishermen have only been granted with half the licences to fish in UK waters that they are entitled to under the Brexit agreement.

In September the UK and the Jersey refused dozens of French fishing licences.

The British government said it has granted licenses to fishing vessels with an evidenced history of operating in its waters prior to the UK’s exit from the EU.

Yesterday the Government of Jersey said it has now issued 49 temporary licences to French fishing vessels, as announced on 28 October.

These vessels will be able to fish in Jersey waters until 31 January 2022, to grant time to provide further data which is necessary to secure a permanent licence under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

They said they are open to receiving further data for vessels that currently have no licence, and new applications can be submitted at any time.