EU wins post-Brexit fishing row with Britain

There was interest that a diminution successful sandeel stocks could harm puffins. Photo: LOIC VENANCE / AFP
Source: AFP

The European Union connected Friday won a landmark lawsuit against Britain astatine the world's oldest arbitration assemblage implicit post-Brexit rights to food sandeels, a tiny North Sea species.

The lawsuit astatine the Permanent Court for Arbitration (PCA) successful The Hague was seen arsenic a bellwether for different imaginable litigation betwixt London and Brussels successful a hot-bed industry.

It besides marked the archetypal courtroom commercialized conflict betwixt the 27-member bloc and Britain since it near the EU successful 2020.

In a 298-page ruling, the PCA took the EU's statement that Britain was not surviving up to its post-Brexit commercialized woody pledges.

"The United Kingdom is successful breach of its work to assistance afloat entree to its waters to food sandeel successful accordance with... the Trade and Cooperation Agreement," said the court.

It ordered London to "take the indispensable measures to comply" with the agreement, which gave the EU entree to British waters for respective years during a post-Brexit modulation period.

In March, Britain ordered each sportfishing to stop, arguing that sandeels were integral to the marine ecosystem of the North Sea.

Britain's lawyers astatine the PCA argued that a diminution successful sandeel stocks would person a knock-on effect connected susceptible taxon similar the Atlantic puffin, seals, porpoises and different food similar cod and haddock.

But Brussels called foul, saying Britain failed to use "evidence-based, proportionate and non-discriminatory measures" erstwhile it ordered a halt to the fishing.

Brussels is backing Denmark successful the dispute. Danish vessels instrumentality immoderate 96 percent of the EU's quota for the species, with sandeel catches averaging immoderate £41.2 cardinal (49 cardinal euros) annually.

The lawsuit could supply important jurisprudence for different clashes implicit sportfishing resulting from the post-Brexit commercialized deal.

Under the accord, the EU's sportfishing fleet retained entree to British waters for a five-and-half-year modulation period, ending mid-2026.

After that, entree to respective waters volition beryllium decided successful yearly negotiations.

Set up successful 1899, the PCA resolves disputes betwixt countries and backstage parties done referring to contracts, peculiar agreements and assorted treaties, specified arsenic the UN Convention connected the Law of the Sea.

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Source: AFP