If you read this, there are less than 483 days to the Brexit. But actually there are fewer than 310 days to reach an agreement. Whether there is a fisheries agreement within that time is doubtful. What will happen with fishing is still completely unclear. It means that we demand maximum attention for fisheries in Brussels and the Member States. To discuss this, the members of the European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA) met in Bergen, Norway.
In the past few days, there appears to be some movement in the Brexit negotiations. But fishing is a dossier that is not on the table yet. From the EUFA, the joint industries ask the EU negotiator Michel Barnier and the leaders of the member states to appoint the Fisheries as one of the main points of attention in the next phase of negotiations. We also demand sufficient legal protection. Fishermen can not be outlawed.
These questions are also linked to the essential issues for EUFA:
1) Fish and fishing is not a matter for a single country, which must be jointly arranged, both for access and for quotas.
2) Free fishing and free trade are linked. No free access to fishing grounds, therefore no free trade.
3) Equal treatment of all ownership of all companies. So: no extra requirements and no restrictions for foreign owners of fishing vessels under British flag.
How will our future relationship with the UK be?
European fishermen are not waiting for changes, while the British want to get rid of the common fisheries policy as soon as possible. At the same time, they do want to continue to work as POs with quotas as if they did not leave the EU. The current regulations are not set here. That is why there must be a transitional period. And there is still less than 10 months to realize.
http://visned.nl/nl/nieuws/item/id/37797/brexit-veel-vragenveel-onduidelijkheidde-klok-tikt
