Barnier Snubbed Both Ways With Inconclusive Fishing Decision
Barnier Snubbed Both Ways: No one is happy with the fishing deal that has hit a stalemate between Britain and the European Union. It is for sure that Britain does not want to miss the richness of its waters; it has been sharing with the EU for decades together.
While the EU Brexit Chief Michael Barnier is trying very hard to reach a conclusive deal by the end of the Brexit transition period, Britain is not happy with what is being placed on the negotiation table.
Before the Brexit happened, Britain had to share a major chunk of its catch from its waters; at the expense of its industry getting affected. It is now looking at a 60percent revenue from the EU catch. The EU bloc is only budging from a 15 percent to an 18percent but nothing more.
Further, the bone of contention remains that Britain would like to decide the shipping rights of the countries that fall in the EU bloc, a quota that should be looked into yearly, allowing access to other non EU countries to use British waters too.
Barnier has been snubbed both ways. As per Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, any conclusive solution looks difficult, even after nine months have been spent over negotiations between the UK and EU bloc. If there no deal conclusive deal where both parties can come to the same page, the UK’s waters would be entirely shut to EU vessels.
Gerard van Balsfoort, the chairman of the European Fisheries Alliance, represents the industry in coastal states such as France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. According to Balsfoort, the fishing industry in these countries is going to be severely hit, without a conclusive Brexit transitional deal. Giving an official statement in the British media he has concluded that, “The shape of a deal, as currently stands, would give a huge blow to the European seafood sector which is made up more than 18,000 fishermen and 3,500 vessels with an annual turnover of €20.7bn.”
In fact he feels, it is better to be without a deal that to accept the one which is now being proposed by Barnier.
