The UK-EU Summit is taking place in London on Monday 19 May.
The first leader-level post-Brexit summit of its kind, the summit is expected to cover issues such as defence, agri-food trade, emissions trading, and youth mobility. Also expected to be on the agenda will be the energy cooperation and fisheries provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) – which are both set to expire next year.
With this in mind, and looking ahead to future fishing arrangements with the EU, the APPG on Fisheries has been collating the priorities of different parties, alongside those of the fishing industry and related stakeholders on future UK-EU fishing arrangements, since January.
As part of this, we have produced a background briefing on Fisheries and the TCA, and recently invited the fishing industry and related stakeholders to submit evidence on their priorities for future UK-EU arrangements on fisheries.
Over recent months, APPG Co-Chairs Melanie Onn MP and Alistair Carmichael MP have also written to the Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, and the EU Ambassador to London for an update on negotiating positions, and to offer briefings.
UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement FISHERIES Priorities
Some key takeaways from the APPG’s background briefing, prepared earlier this year, include:
The TCA received a less than positive response from the UK’s fishing industry, including regarding the continued access it provided for EU vessels in UK waters.
The fishing industry has reiterated a strong desire that fishing is not again made a totemic issue, to be traded against other areas in negotiations.
Access has been cited by industry as the key point of leverage for the UK towards securing terms more favourable to the UK fishing industry.
Removal of clauses that allow one party to impose trade barriers on the other, in the event of a dispute over fisheries matters have been highlighted as critical.
Core asks from fisheries stakeholders also cover: safeguarding sustainable management of UK fisheries, including of non-quota species; and a more equitable redistribution of quotas.
The UK Government has expressed a commitment to securing the “best possible outcome” for UK fishermen in upcoming negotiations.
You can read the background briefing here.
What happens next?
The evidence recently collected as part of our recent Call for Evidence from industry stakeholders will be used to develop the APPG’s briefing further, and support the APPG’s work within Parliament to ensure that fishing voices are heard.