France warns UK to resolve fishing row by Dec. 10

PARIS

France will halt negotiations if Britain does not make any progress on granting new fishing licenses in the next ten days, the country's minister for European Affairs warned on Monday.

Issuing a new deadline, Clement Beaune said the United Kingdom has time to resolve the ongoing feud by Dec. 10, after which there will be no further dialogue.

France will continue the dialogue with the UK and the European Commission for a few more days until Dec. 10, before taking further action.

“If there is no big gesture on licenses, we will stop this dialogue," Beaune threatened while speaking on France Inter radio.

After Paris threatened to impose sanctions on Nov. 2, Britain signaled moving constructively on the fishing licenses and joined in negotiations with the European Commission on the dispute over fishing licenses in the Channel. The measures included tightening customs on UK products and trucks and banning entry to British trawlers from unloading their cargo in French ports.

France maintains that Britain has breached the post-Brexit fishing agreement and shortchanged it with lesser licenses to French fishers. As per the new provisions in the wake of Brexit, fishers from the EU can continue to fish in British waters by obtaining a fresh license, by proving that they have traditionally fished in those waters before.

The issue of fishing licenses has resulted in a standoff between the two countries for months. Earlier, France had threatened to retaliate by reducing electricity supply to the Jersey island.