France announces aid: fishermen are compensated for EU deal

France announces aid
Fishermen are compensated for EU deal

French fishermen suffer particularly from the agreed trade income between the EU and Great Britain. The minister responsible now announces that they should receive individual financial aid. This could offset the most controversial point in the EU negotiations.

The French fishermen are to receive state aid to cushion the effects of the trade agreement between the EU and Great Britain. Among other things, individual aid for fishermen and fish wholesalers of up to 30,000 euros each is planned, as announced by the Ministry of the Sea in Paris. The amount of these payments will be made dependent on how dependent the recipients are on fishing in British waters.

The relief plan also provides for companies operating in UK waters to be compensated for part of their lost sales for a limited period of time. The complete plan to support the French fishermen should be presented soon, said Marine Minister Annick Girardin. The rules governing fishing in British waters had been one of the most contentious issues in the EU-UK negotiations.

Five-year transition period granted

According to EU representatives, the agreement reached on Thursday provides for a transition period of five and a half years for the reduction of catch quotas for EU fishermen. A 25 percent reduction in catches had been agreed with Great Britain for this period. From June 2026, the catch quotas should be negotiated with Great Britain again every year.

EU fishermen catch marine animals worth around € 650 million annually in UK waters. Despite its overall low economic weight, the sector is of great political and social importance for Member States such as France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland. On the other hand, for many Britons, control over their own waters has become a symbol of the sovereignty regained through Brexit.

The trade agreement is not yet dry. On the EU side, the governments of all 27 member states still have to approve the outcome of the negotiations; in Great Britain, Parliament has to give its approval. The aim is for the agreement to come into force provisionally on January 1, when Great Britain has left the EU internal market and the customs union.

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