The Minister of the Sea, Annick Girardin, announced Monday to the fishermen of Boulogne-sur-Mer, mobilized last week, the release of an envelope of 100 million euros as part of a support plan for the post-Brexit fishing industry, just validated by Brussels.
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Accompanied by Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune, she also assured representatives of the sector that 21 new licenses to allow French boats to fish in British waters would soon be issued. The aid provided for in the support plan,
"validated in recent hours by the European Commission, (...) can be immediately mobilized and will be settled, paid, before a maximum period of six months"
, assured the Minister at the exit of 'a meeting of more than 2:30 with the professionals.
"We understood (...) the distress, the exasperation of the fishermen"
, while Brexit adds to
"a year of difficulties"
linked to Covid-19.
"The State must be at the rendezvous of the accompaniment (...) of efficiency"
, she continued.
During the night from Thursday to Friday, more than a hundred fishermen gathered in Boulogne-sur-Mer, ready to block the trucks from the United Kingdom. They denounced the significant delays in the implementation of the post-Brexit fishing agreement concluded with the United Kingdom, particularly concerning the allocation of access licenses to the 6-12 nautical mile zone off the coast. British, where European fishermen traditionally go.
"The agreement provided for access to British waters, that must be respected,"
commented Clément Beaune, saying he brought
"a message of support and combat"
to the fishermen.
"We will fight until we get the last license needed,"
he promised.
Problem of boats under 12 meters
“But there remains the only problem with (boats) less than 12 meters, which cannot demonstrate their anteriority (in English waters, editor's note) as required by the United Kingdom. These UK requirements are not in the agreement, and are therefore unacceptable ”
for France, continued Annick Girardin.
"We have agreed"
with the European Commission
"so that we use all possible levers"
to apply the agreement, added Clément Beaune, referring
to
possible
"retaliatory measures"
.
