Luis Planas meets with European Commissioner for Fisheries to analyse implementation of Brexit agreement

News - 2021.1.20

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, and the EU Chief Brexit Negotiator, Michel Barnier, analysed the implementation, in the fisheries sector, of the agreement for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) in its first few weeks of application.

Luis Planas requested, at the meeting held by video-conference, speed in setting up the Fisheries Committee provided for in the agreement to start to resolve some of its more technical aspects.

The minister conveyed to the commissioner, and to the ministers from Germany, Belgium, France, Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden, who also took part by video-conference, that "a message of unity" within the EU and by Member States with fishing interests in the UK must prevail in implementing this agreement.

He highlighted the importance of the European Commission having a sound mandate for consultations on Total Allowable Catches (TAC) at maximum fishing levels for 2021 and that the priorities of Member States are guaranteed through the European Council.

He also conveyed the need to strengthen the Brexit Reserve Fund as a support mechanism for the Spanish fishing sector.

He also urged the European Commission to ensure that Norway respects the relative stability of the EU and of Spain in the negotiations under way with this country.

Non official translation