Michel Barnier fights EU nation rebellion over fear he’ll grant UK fishing reprieve
Demands to secure clear access to European trawlers have come from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Denmark and Spain
MICHEL Barnier is fighting a rebellion from furious EU countries who fear he is about to sell them out and grant Britain a vital reprieve on fishing.
Capitals have been infuriated by the Commission’s “weak” plan to link access to our waters to a UK-wide backstop.
Under a top secret blueprint being drawn up by both sides Britain could avoid letting EU vessels land catches simply by accepting tariffs on our fish.
A diplomatic note, seen by The Sun, reveals angry Member States confronted Mr Barnier about the proposal at a meeting last Friday.
It says: “A special problem is the Commission seems to intend NOT to link access to fishing waters to the customs union under this fallback arrangement.
“It would only link access to fishing waters to British access for their fish and fishery products.
“This is leading to great unrest in the fisheries sector of several countries who fear that this leverage is too weak considering the fact that WTO tariffs are reasonably low.”
France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Denmark and Spain are now demanding eurocrats secure irrevocable access for their trawler men.
British and EU negotiators are trying to thrash out a UK-wide customs solution to the Irish border conundrum in order to appease the DUP.
But some Member States, led by Paris and Berlin, have raised concerns the bloc risks giving away vital negotiating capital with such a rushed deal.
According to the note capitals stressed the need to “keep maximum leverage for access to British fishing waters” and “avoid a precedent” the UK could exploit in future trade talks.
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They also demanded the eurocrats spell out how they would protect Member States’ fishing industries if they do lose access to British waters.
In the note diplomats even suggested that the impasse over fishing could lead to the talks collapsing at the eleventh hour.
They raised the “need to make sure that a possible break up in the negotiations won’t be able to be blamed on these fishery countries”.
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