Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union is set to demand that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer renounce the UK’s fishing rights in a proposal to secure a post-Brexit trade agreement.
European Union is believed to be pursuing an arrangement whereby the Bririan must assume rulings made by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to enhance working connections between the UK and the EU. As a document seen by The Times, the European Union’s new demands have been observed for the first time since the UK departed from the EU that the UK government has had to abide by EU law.
Why is the EU pressing for fishing rights concessions?
According to The Times, the EU wants Prime Minister Keir Starmer to undo British policy on its independent marine protection, letting European fishermen enter British waters.
As part of a new agreement, the EU is expected to seek to make the UK acknowledge issues of fishing, the ECJ, as well as youth mobility. Concerning fishing, the document has stated that the UK must abide by “the maintenance of the status quo” to allow access to European boats.
It states the UK must conform to “the maintenance of the status quo” on access for European boats to UK waters before discussions can begin, including the same levels of catch allocations as those that are currently in place.
The development comes just days after the Biritan hit a fishing deal with the European Union, which the government calculates to be worth £360m and declared highlights “all parties’ continued adherence to manage fisheries sustainably”.
Following talks with the European Union for 2025 fishing quotas, the UK reserved 150,000 tonnes of fishing options – 15,000 tonnes more than in 2024. Another critical aspect of the EU’s approach to discussions with the UK is a youth mobility project; however, the UK has so far vetoed the proposal. The deal, which has become a main sticking point between the UK and the European Union, would likely mirror parallel arrangements the UK already has with nations including Australia and Japan and would permit 18- to 35-year-olds to drive and work freely between nations for up to two years.
