Boris Johnson insists that the UK will not make any concessions to France in the post Brexit fishing war.
The Prime Minister insisted that his position was unchanged in the dispute, which revolves around the number of fishing licenses granted to small French vessels after the UK left the EU.
He stated that the UK would continue to seek to resolve the dispute, which led France to threaten action against British vessels before Paris backed down Monday night.
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, vowed to reopen negotiation but fled Cop26 summit earlier in the week after only one day.
Johnson stated that ‘Since your question about whether the UK changed its position regarding the fishing issue, you will find the answer to be no.
“We work very closely with French friends and partners on the matters that matter most to people around the world, that is, tackling climate change and reducing carbon dioxide.
“And by comparison with the hugely important issue you mention. [fishing]They are really vanishingly insignificant.
These comments come after Mr Macron’s 11th hour U-turn. He canceled retaliatory steps against Britain, which had been threatened over, among others, British trawlers landing in French ports.
He stated that discussions between France, Britain and the European Commission would continue tomorrow and exempted any retaliation against Britain while they were negotiating.
Fisherman Phil Channing unloads the scallops he caught at St Helier in Jersey from his boat amid the ongoing fishing dispute between France and Britain
The French president had warned Paris against British boats landing in French ports. In protest at the refusal by the UK authorities, they have tightened customs controls from midnight.
France claims Britain is not honoring a post Brexit deal on access to British fishing waters. It stated that it would retaliate starting Monday at midnight by increasing checks on trucks coming from Britain, and banning British trawlers docking in French ports.
The UK insisted that it would only grant licenses to boats that meet the criteria in the Brexit agreement.
Britain welcomed France’s’step back’ from threats to impose punitive actions in the row earlier.
George Eustice, Environment Secretary, said that a meeting between Lord Frost, Brexit minister, and Clement Beaune (France’s Europe minister) in Paris on Thursday would prove to be’very important’ as further talks with EU are also planned.
However, ahead of that meeting, the skipper for a Scottish-registered scallop dragger, the Cornelis Get Jan, will appear in a French court Wednesday.
After Mr Eustice’s suggestion that the British vessel was released, Downing Street had to clarify that it was still in Le Havre.
Macron had previously warned that Paris could stop British boats landing their catch in French ports. In protest of what they claim is a refusal from the UK authorities, Macron tightened customs checks and threatened to block French boats from landing in France.
France ended its threats at the eleventh hour, as negotiations continued.
According to The Associated Press, the deadline has been extended to Thursday.
A French official said Tuesday that talks were progressing and that France wants to’move forward from the fishing dispute to concentrate on bigger issues like climate change.
‘Neither we nor the British want it to go wrong,’ stated the official, whom AP wasn’t authorized to publicly name.
Boris Johnson insists he won’t make any concessions for France as the row over post Brexit fish rights rumbles on
These comments are in response to the French President Emmanuel Macron’s last-minute U-turn. He canceled retaliatory actions against Britain that were threatened due to British trawlers docking at French ports.
Sky News reported that Mr Eustice said earlier that France had reversed its threats last Wednesday.
“We’ve always said that we want de-escalation and always said that we have an open door to discuss any further evidence France, the EU, might have on additional vessels they’d love to license.
“France has clearly decided not to implement some decisions they threatened last Wednesday. We very much welcome that. But I think there’s going be a very important meeting between Lord Frost (not just on fisheries, but on a wider range) on Thursday.
Broadcasters were told by Mr Eustice that he understood that the Cornelis Gert Jan had been released following ‘administrative confusion’ relating to a vessel’s engine change.
Officials later admitted that it was still subject to French authorities’ detention.
Macduff Shellfish, who was the owner of the boat thought it would stay at Le Havre until the hearing in Rouen on Wednesday.
According to the official spokesperson for the Prime Minister, “The vessel in question remains in port, having already been detained by French authorities.”
The European Union stated that talks with officials from France (UK), Jersey (Guernsey) would continue on Tuesday.
The French president said Monday night to journalists at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, hours before Paris deadline: ‘Since today, discussions have resumed on account of a proposal that I made to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“The talks should continue. My understanding is that the British are going to come back to us tomorrow with additional proposals. All that will be done.
“We’ll see what we’re doing tomorrow at the end, to see if anything has changed.”
“My wish is to find a solution to all these problems.
98% of EU vessels have applied for permission to operate in British waters and the UK granted them licences.
The dispute centers on access for small boats under 12 meters that wish to fish in the six-to-12 nautical mile UK zone.
Paris’ government was furious that the UK initially granted only 12 licenses out of 47 applications for smaller vessels. This figure has since risen to 18.
Only boats that are able to show they have fished in UK water for at least one day during the period 2012-2016 are eligible for a licence.
When asked if he had offered more generous terms for President Macron to keep talks going, Johnson replied that the UK Government had not changed its position on the fishing row.
Le Big Sulk? Emmanuel Macron leaves COP26 summit in Glasgow a Day before other leaders – following bitter spats over AUKUS sub deals with Boris Johnson, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson
Emmanuel Macron departed the COP26 summit in Glasgow after just a day – leaving fellow leaders to fight on for climate change commitments.
The French President is believed have returned to Paris last night after a few engagements. However, he missed the ‘family photograph’ with dozens more premiers like Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel.
After awkward encounters with Johnson over the bitter row over fishing rights, the French seemed to back down after claims that the EU had rejected their hardline.
The president also described Scott Morrison as a liar for his part in the AUKUS submarine alliance.
It is believed that Macron had always planned to return to Paris after the summit’s first day. He was also at G20 in Rome over the weekend.
This could raise eyebrows, however, as Mr Johnson and Mr Biden were still in full deal making mode today.
COP26 will continue for the next week after the two-day summit leaders’ component. This is in the hope that it will make progress against climate change.
Mr Macron was forced to leave early because Johnson said that the row over fishing rights is “vanishingly important” when compared with other issues like climate change.
The Prime Minister also stated that the UK had not offered any concessions during negotiations regarding the dispute.
He told a press conference this evening: ‘On our relations with France, I really renew what I have said before, we are working very, very closely with our French friends and partners on the things that matter most to the people of the world, that is tackling climate change, reducing CO2 and by comparison with that hugely important issue, the ones you mention are really vanishingly unimportant.
‘But since you ask about whether the UK has changed its position, let me put it that way, on the fishing issue, the answer is no.’
Emmanuel Macron was absent from the lavish evening reception that marked the opening of the COP26 summit in Glasgow. World leaders took a group picture during a lavish night reception.
Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron were at odds in Glasgow Monday morning as the PM received the French President to the COP26 Climate Change Summit. This was amid a furious Anglo/French row about fishing rights.
The conference’s first day was capped off by a lavish royal reception at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton were all there.
But Macron was not in any photographs of the event.
Just hours before the evening reception, Macron had confirmed that France would not pursue retaliatory action against Britain amid bitter dispute between the two nations over post-Brexit fishing right rights.
He stated that discussions between France, Britain and the European Commission would continue tomorrow and exempted any retaliation against Britain while they were negotiating.
The deadline was set to expire shortly after Mr Macron was confronted by Scott Morrison, an Australian PM at the COP26 conference. Scott Morrison was publicly accused of being a liar in relation to his role as a submarine row captain.
When reporters asked Mr Macron if he had lied to him about the $90billion submarine contract he signed and the deal he made with the UK and the US, Macron responded: “I don’t think, but I know.”
Boris Johnson meets Scott Morrison from Australia at COP26 UN Climate Change yesterday
When the pair met in Rome last Wednesday, Scott Morrison, the Australian Prime Minister, and Emmanuel Macron, French President (left), exchanged awkward handshakes.
Macron was even seen laughing with Prince Charles hours earlier on Monday. But he has apparently disappeared and didn’t show up at the royal reception
At the start of the evening the Queen urged world leaders to ‘earn a place in history’ and ‘answer the call of those future generations’ in an impassioned speech to representatives.
Her Majesty, 95, who was forced to miss the conference after her overnight stay in hospital last monthVia video, he told leaders ‘to rise above politics of the moment and achieve true statemanship’
After the powerful speech of the monarch, the Prime Minister stated that “What we have today, as Her Majesty mentioned, is the largest gathering of world leaders in the country since the foundation and end of the Second World War. It’s an extraordinary historic event.”
“But in some ways, what are we doing today is even more significant, because we face nothing else than a mortal danger to our planet, to our civilisation, to the way we live.
France today denied a seized British trawler has been freed as ministers hailed Emmanuel Macron ‘stepping back’ from his retaliation threats in the bitter fishing row.
Environment Secretary George Eustice claimed the scallop vessel Cornelis Gert Jan ‘has now been released’ after being accused of fishing without a licence and detained at Le Havre.
But the vessel is still at the Normandy port and French prosecutors insist the situation remains ‘subject to legal negotiations’ – with a deposit of around £125,000 due before she can return home.
The confusion began after Mr Macron stated that he would return to the negotiating table and negotiate with Britain, rather than continue with his extraordinary sabre rattling.
He has put aside threats to stop British trawlers landing their catch in French ports, reduced electricity to Jersey, and tightened customs controls until at least Thursday.
Despite the truce in hostilities, French fishing chiefs warned trawlermen not to go into British waters in the event of a resurgence.
Mr Eustice told Sky News this morning: ‘We welcome the fact France has stepped back from the threats it was making last Wednesday.
“We’ve always stated that we want to de-escalate the situation and have always maintained that we are open to discussing any additional evidence France or EU might have regarding any additional vessels they’d like licensed.
“France has clearly decided not to implement some decisions they threatened last Wednesday. We very much welcome that, but I think there’s going be a very important meeting between Lord frost (and his opposite number) on Thursday, not only on fisheries, but on a wider range issues as well.
Jondy Ward, skipper on the Cornelis Gert Jan is seen today at Le Havre.
George Eustice, Environment Secretary said the scallop vessel “has now been released” after being accused of fishing illegally and taken into custody at Le Havre
Concerning the Cornelis situation, Mr Eustice stated that he understood that the vessel had been released. However, he felt there would need to be further discussions as there was clearly an administrative error.
“We haven’t quite gotten to the bottom of it, but that vessel that I understand has been released.”
The UK appeared to be refusing to negotiate in the dispute over fishing rights. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was clear that Britain would not ‘roll over’.
However, more have been granted. The UK authorities insist on more evidence that they used waters prior to Brexit.
At the Cop26 summit in Glasgow last evening, Mr Macron stated to reporters: “It is not while you are negotiating that it is going to impose sanctions.
“Since this evening, discussions have resumed on basis of a proposal that I made to Prime Minister Johnson.
“The talks should continue. Tomorrow, we’ll be able to see where things are at the end of each day. The next few hours will be crucial. He stated that he understood that the British would return to us tomorrow with new proposals.
Clement Beaune (France’s Europe minister) tweeted late last night, announcing that he would meet with Lord Frost, the Brexit minister, in Paris on Thursday.
Macron’s close ally stated that any planned retaliatory actions would not be applied prior to the meeting.
France is furious at the UK’s and Jersey’s refusal to allow a number French vessels to fish in their waters.
The Elysee Palace originally stood firm, stating that if Britain refused concessions on the number licences it issued to French fishermen then it would continue to threaten British trawlers, Jersey and customs controls.