French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided in a one-on-one conversation to work on practical measures for de-escalation over the next few days. But the French media reported on Sunday, citing the Elysée Palace, that Macron had asked Johnson to “adhere to the rules of the game and his signature” under the Brexit treaty.
Accordingly, it was further said that the French side viewed the dispute as a Brexit issue between Great Britain and the EU, “even if Boris Johnson is still trying to make this a Franco-British issue”. The media quoted the Elysée as saying that practical and operational measures were to be taken as soon as possible to avoid worsening tensions.
Downing Street announced that Johnson had urged Macron to de-escalate during the half-hour conversation on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome. Johnson was “deeply concerned” about French threats.
Paris accuses London of not adhering to the Brexit agreements and of refusing numerous French fishermen the license for British waters contrary to the agreement. If no agreement is reached by November 2, France has announced that it will close some ports to British fishermen and tighten controls on British boats and trucks. The UK rejects the allegations and has announced countermeasures that could affect the entire EU.