FRENCH officials will meet European Commission representatives on 4 January to discuss how they can begin legal proceedings against British authorities in the dispute over fishing rights, the country’s Europe Minister has said.
Clément Beaune made the announcement this week while appearing on French television warning that if the Channel Islands and UK ‘did not respect the Brexit agreement’ they would cut off access to their export markets. France claims that Jersey and the UK have collectively failed to issue around 70 licences to fishermen. However, those in the British Isles claim all vessels which have proven their eligibility to obtain a permit have received one.
The French politician’s comments follow a warning from Environment Minister John Young that, if the nation did go ahead with the action, it would ‘sour the relationship’ with the Island.
Appearing on France 2’s Les 4 Vérités current affairs programme, Mr Beaune said: ‘We have an agreement which said that if it was not respected then there could be sanctions which would be authorised by a court. It is this court which we [the EU and the UK] appointed jointly.
‘It will be this court that we will be approaching in the very first days of January and if the court says that the agreement has not been respected, as we think it has not, then we can put sanctions in place. There will be meetings between the 4 and 6 of January to define this procedure.’
He added: ‘The British need our market – it is the first outlet for their exports. It has access to our markets today but if they do not respect the agreement then they will no longer have access to our market.’
