Last October Johnson reached an agreement with the EU 27 about our withdrawal and a declaration setting out the broad terms of our future relationship. One section of the PD concerns fishing and commits both sides to "use their best endeavours to conclude and ratify their new fisheries agreement by 1 July 2020 in order for it to be in place in time to be used for determining fishing opportunities for the first year after the transition period."
The EU published their draft legal text, all 440 pages, on March 18 including a section on fishing. Britain is yet to publish anything at all. This is with eight weeks to go. The EU text on Fisheries begins on page 93 with paragraph (a) "upholding clear and stable rules and existing reciprocal conditions on access to waters and
resources"
We've submitted legal text on a FTA plus a few other areas but these are not published and Britain has refused permission for the EU to share them with member states. The texts do not include fishing.
It looks increasingly as if Britain is acting in bad faith and will acquire a reputation as an unreliable partner. Johnson is dragging Britain's name through the mud.
Barnier has repeatedly said there will be no trade deal without an agreement on fishing. The week before last, at the close of the second round of talks, the EU chief negotiator said:
"The EU will not agree to any future economic partnership that does not include a balanced, sustainable and long-term solution on fisheries. That should be crystal clear to the UK."
Last Monday (27th), Michael Gove appeared by video conference before the Future relationship select committee where he was asked why we hadn't submitted anything. His answer was a bit convoluted - to say the least:
Gove told the FR Select Committee last Monday that “one of the reasons for not tabling that is, err..,we were trying […] to ensure that we were in a position to have the EU understand our basic position”. Watch the clip below:
In other words we were trying to have the EU understand our basic position on fisheries policy by not telling them what it was. Nobody picked up on it. Gove is unfailingly courteous to the point where he almost seems to be patronising and his answers were so long-winded people on the Zoom call must have slipped out to read War & Peace in between questions.
Now we are talking tough with "sources close to the British negotiating team on Thursday said the UK would stick to its demand to have 'control over its coastal waters' - as it continues to hold out on submitting detailed plans on fishing rights to Brussels".
The Telegraph have also stepped in with a warning that talks could collapse unless the EU abandons its demand for continued access to British waters.
I would bet my house on the source for both these stories being Dominic Cummings. This is his MO, issuing threats through a compliant media for home consumption.
This is precisely what happened last October. Fishermen should watch out for capitulation very soon.
