“Consultations concluded without reaching such a mutually agreed solution, to which the EU remains open. The establishment of an arbitration tribunal constitutes the next step of the dispute settlement procedure.”
The statement adds that measures to manage “shared resources” must be “non-discriminatory, proportionate to the objectives and based on the best available scientific evidence.”
The government has been contacted for comment.
The issue looks unlikely to go away, as Brussels has made clear that a new settlement on fishing will have to be part of any new Brexit deals struck with Starmer’s government.
The European Association of Fish Producers Organisations in May described the impact of the ban on catching the snakey fish as “massive,” while the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says it is “vital” and “throws a lifeline to our seabirds.”
It’s a dilemma Starmer will have to navigate carefully. Continuing the policy is likely to be popular with British voters: a government consultation on the policy in 2023 found 95.5 percent of respondents supported a full ban.
But the U.K. prime minister will also want to make sure that the issue doesn’t derail relations with Brussels — and cause the Brexit reset to slip through his fingers.