EU’S Brexit fishing rights trade-off is ‘wishful thinking’

BORIS JOHNSON’S spokesman accused the European Union of “wishful thinking” yesterday as he ruled out any compromise over fishing rights after the Brexit transition period.

UK and EU officials will hold difficult online negotiations over access to fishing waters today in the fourth round of the Brexit trade talks. Each side called on the other to drop red lines over fishing after the last round of talks ended in bad-tempered recrimination.

EU sources said this week they expected British negotiators to capitulate on their red lines and the level playing field guarantees if Brussels was to hint at a willingness to compromise.

But the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “This is wishful thinking by the EU. We aren’t compromising because our position on this is fundamental to our status as an independent, sovereign country.” Michel Barnier, the EU’S chief Brexit negotiator, has said a “balanced” fisheries agreement was a precondition for a trade agreement.

The EU wants a long-term status quo deal of reciprocal access to waters “under existing conditions” as part of the free trade deal. Britain wants the fisheries agreement to be separate from the trade deal, with annual talks over access and fishing opportunities.

The EU’S Common Fisheries Policy is based on historic catch patterns dating back decades, but more fish have now moved into UK waters because of climate change. If the deadlocked trade negotiations cannot be finalised by the end of the year, unless transition is extended, the UK and EU will be forced to trade on less lucrative WTO terms.

If the UK extended transition to buy time for more trade negotiations, which Downing Street has repeatedly refused to do, the UK would remain part of the Common Fisheries Policy.