Brexit dispute: Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson disagree

There is still no sign of easing in the dispute over fishing licenses between Great Britain and France. French President Emmanuel Macron offered British Prime Minister Boris Johnson a “de-escalation” at a meeting on Sunday. If London does not give in, Paris will take retaliatory measures from Tuesday. “The ball is in the British playing field,” said Macron. Johnson said his administration’s position had not changed.

Paris and London are arguing over fishing rights in British territorial waters following the UK’s exit from the EU. France accuses the British authorities of granting too few fishing permits for French vessels. According to the Brexit trade agreement with the EU, fishermen are entitled to a license if they can be shown to have fished the waters in question before Brexit.

Paris threatens to take action from Tuesday

Paris threatens retaliatory measures from Tuesday, such as stricter goods controls and a landing ban for British fishermen in French ports, if nothing moves on the British side. The personal meeting between Macron and Johnson on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome also brought no progress.

The Elysée Palace said after the meeting that Macron and Johnson had agreed “to take practical and operational measures as soon as possible to avoid an increase in tension”. Johnson and Macron have agreed on a “de-escalation”.

Both sides supposedly ready to talk

A spokesman for Johnson immediately rejected this account and emphasized: “Our position has not changed”. If the French government wants to submit proposals for de-escalation, London will “absolutely welcome” this. On the part of London, no further meetings or concrete measures are planned for the time being.

Macron himself told journalists that he hoped for an answer from the British by Monday. If London does not move further, Paris will act as planned on Tuesday.

Johnson said at his press conference at the end of the G20 summit that Britain and France were “long-time allies and friends”. However, his government’s position on fish has not changed.

According to the Elysée Palace, Paris will first submit a report on Tuesday on whether the announced retaliatory measures should come into force. The dispute concerns “a few dozen boats”, so a solution is quite possible.

The British government spokesman, however, announced that the responsible authorities would continue to process the approval procedures for French and EU fishermen based solely on existing information. “We are ready to work with the French government and individual fishermen when they have the necessary data. There is nothing else to do.”

Johnson wants to change the Northern Ireland Protocol

Rather, in the conversation with Macron, Johnson tried to ensure that the EU finally agreed to changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, the spokesman said. The protocol is one of the most contentious issues in post-Brexit relations between Brussels and London. It stipulates that no customs controls will be carried out between the British province of Northern Ireland and the EU member Ireland. Instead, there should be controls between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Critics in the UK denounce this as a de facto border within the UK. The EU rejects radical changes or even the abolition of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which Johnson and his government signed last year after years of difficult negotiations.

Macron warned Johnson about a loss of credibility on Friday because of the disputes. “If you spend years negotiating a contract and then a few months later do the opposite of what was decided in the areas that are the least suitable for you, that is not a good sign of credibility,” he told the ” Financial Times “.